Everyone dreams of being able to spend money on a lavish shopping spree, but this is a dream for a reason. It’s financially unattainable for most, especially those with pretty regular, low-paying jobs. Thus, the headline that a Miami waitress went on a luxury car shopping spree sounds fake, and that’s because, in a manner of speaking, it was. 7 News Miami reported that 38-year-old waitress Dunia Sierra wasn’t making the kind of money that enables you to buy ten high-end cars in just over a week, but she seems to have done so anyway as part of a potential fraud scheme — and now she’s in seriously hot water.

Back in 2023, Sierra was said to have made a string of incredible vehicle purchases. 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, a 2018 Mercedes-Benz S560, a 2019 BMW i8, multiple 2023 Harley-Davidson motorcycles, and a whole lot more. She claimed to make around $180,000 per month as the general manager at the Miami Lakes restaurant, affording her the ability to buy, but this wasn’t true in the least. Investigators theorized she attempted a “credit bust-out,” which involves taking out multiple auto loans and nabbing the vehicles before credit reports can catch up. 

Ultimately, Sierra was taken into custody and faced charges such as organized fraud, grand theft, and vehicle-related fraud. As it turns out, she’s not the only Miami resident to be accused of trying and failing at such a plot as of late.

The point of a credit bust-out scheme is to sneak away with multiple vehicles as fast as possible. Once the vehicles are acquired, they are dispersed into underground vehicle markets, sent to other states to have their records wiped and falsified, and ultimately brought to new owners. The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Organized Crimes Bureau Auto Crimes Task Force has worked to crack down on these plots, with the Dunia Sierra case just one of many that didn’t pan out as the accused perpetrator seemingly hoped. The same can be said for another possible 2026 Miami bust-out attempt that apparently took the concept to an even higher level.

39-year-old Deinier Dominguez and 49-year-old Elizabeth Gamez Pardo were apprehended in February 2026 in connection with a failed bust-out scheme that encompassed 25 vehicles worth approximately $1.5 million collectively. NBC Miami reported that Dominguez allegedly used his status as a finance manager at two different dealerships to acquire the vehicles. Gamez Pardo was said to have falsely opened an identity theft case over the purchase of a 2024 Mercedes GLE AMG, worth $128,000. Investigators claimed that Dominguez originated the loan, and Gamez Pardo posted a picture of herself with the vehicle’s keys, tipping them off that something was amiss. 

Both individuals now face a litany of charges each. Florida may not rank among the U.S. states with the most conventional car thefts, but it looks like some folks are bumping up its attempted credit bust-out attempt numbers.