Do Not Order From This Pizzeria In Florida, It’s Fake

A 55-year-old man in South Florida is facing serious charges for a strange impersonation scheme that left hotel guests with disappointing pizzas instead of the real deal.

Pizza Scheme Of The Year

Authorities say the man, Jose Marti-Alvarez, orchestrated a “scheme to defraud tourists” by pretending to represent a popular local pizza place in Miami Springs.

According to the police, Marti-Alvarez tricked customers into thinking they were ordering from Roman’s Pizzeria, a well-known establishment at 391 N. Royal Poinciana Blvd. However, instead of receiving quality pizzas from the actual Roman’s Pizzeria, they got poor-quality pies from Marti-Alvarez.

How Did He Pull Off This Scam?

Marti-Alvarez allegedly distributed fake pizza flyers to hotel rooms along Northwest 36th Street, near Miami International Airport. These flyers advertised “Roman Pizzeria,” misleading hotel guests into ordering from him instead of the real pizzeria, as reported by Miami Springs police.

Jesus Roman, the owner of the genuine Roman’s Pizzeria, who has been in the pizza business for four decades, expressed his frustration, stating that Marti-Alvarez’s pizzas were “bad, uncooked, and sometimes just a box with a piece of raw dough.”

Roman added, “They deliver the pizzas, and by the time customers realize something is wrong, it’s too late.”

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How Long Has This Scam Been Going On?

Police revealed that this fraudulent activity had been going on for several years, causing significant damage to Roman’s business, including complaints to the Better Business Bureau, negative online reviews, and upset customers.

Roman explained that disgruntled customers would sometimes visit his pizzeria, demanding to know where their food was. He had to clarify that his establishment was not responsible for the subpar pizzas they received.

Finally Getting Caught

Roman eventually reported the issue to the police, leading to the arrest of Marti-Alvarez on charges of an organized scheme to defraud. Marti-Alvarez was booked into jail early Monday morning.

“If you’re going to do something, at least do it right,” Roman commented.

Marti-Alvarez, who resides in Miami Gardens, is also facing an aggravated battery charge after allegedly fleeing from hotel staff in his vehicle and striking a staff member.

During a court hearing on Monday afternoon, Miami-Dade Judge Mindy Glazer ordered Marti-Alvarez to stay away from the Days Inn at 4767 NW 36th St., where the incident occurred.

A lawyer, seeking to have the aggravated battery charge dismissed, argued in court that Marti-Alvarez claimed he “left the area quickly and didn’t think he hit the staff member with his car,” believing he wasn’t supposed to distribute the fake pizza flyers at the hotel.

Despite this, Judge Glazer found probable cause to charge Marti-Alvarez with aggravated battery, setting his bond at $5,000.

As of Monday evening, Marti-Alvarez was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, with his bond for the organized scheme to defraud charge still pending.