Margaret Jimenez, a Miami realtor who runs a title company in Aventura, was arrested on Sunday, June 28, 2026, in Pembroke Pines after detectives said she misappropriated more than $322,000 in escrow from a home sale. According to authorities, the cash diversion left the seller unpaid and the transaction unfinished, and Jimenez was being jailed on a $75,000 bond.
The Florida Division of Corporations lists Jimenez as the president and registered agent of All Star Title, LLC, an Aventura-based title and settlement services company. According to the documents, All Star Title was founded in May 2023 and submitted its annual report in May 2026.
According to a probable cause document obtained by Pembroke Pines News, the real estate sale at the core of the investigation was completed on September 19, 2025. According to investigators, Jimenez collected $322,849.03 in escrow deposits intended to cover taxes, mortgage payoffs, fees, and the seller’s earnings, which included around $147,304 in profit. According to the affidavit, the money was sent to pay an unrelated mortgage through Carrington Mortgage Services, leaving only $281.40 in the escrow account on October 31, 2025. Bank documents obtained through a subpoena purportedly demonstrate that the account never had enough funds to meet the required payments.
Jimenez is accused in the affidavit of grand theft of more than $100,000 as well as participating in an organized plan to defraud worth more than $50,000. If formally filed, such accusations would subject her to some of Florida’s harshest white-collar crime statutes.
In recent years, Florida has witnessed an increase in similar real estate fraud charges, raising concerns about how escrow funds are handled and how much trust buyers and sellers can place in settlement services. For background, the Miami Herald reported on a December 2024 case in which police accused a realtor of falsifying paperwork and diverting clients’ property, indicating industry-wide issues.
Theft of property valued at $100,000 or more in Florida is considered grand theft in the first degree, a felony offense. Separately, a scheme involving $50,000 or more can be prosecuted as organized fraud, a crime, under terms described in the Florida Senate theft statute and the Florida Legislature text known as the Florida Communications Fraud Act.
The case is still in its early stages, and prosecutors will determine whether to file formal charges and schedule court hearings in Broward County. Court papers and public files are expected to offer additional light on the claims as the case progresses, and we will continue to follow them for updates.
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