MIAMI – Zakria Khan told a judge Friday in Miami-Dade County court that he only had 71 cents in his bank account, didn’t own any real estate, and owned his own business.
Khan, 25, appeared before Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Maria Espinosa Dennis, who was gathering information to determine if he qualified to get a public defender.
Khan told Espinosa that he had been renting an apartment at Grand Station in Miami and his parents live in Minnesota. He also told her he didn’t file taxes because he “didn’t make any money” last year.
“I do Airbnb but I am not profitable for the last couple of months,” Khan said. “I rent the property and then I sublease it … My parents do provide for me a little bit, like if I were to ask.”
Espinosa appointed a public defender to represent him. The prosecution reported five pending cases against Khan, including three from the Miami Beach Police Department and two from the Miami Police Department.
Miami Sgt. Oscar Baquedano told Espinosa that detectives had been searching for Khan for a while, and he was arrested on Thursday while carrying a fake identification.
“He has been involved in a lot of fraud,” Baquedano said.
Baquedano said Khan organized car thefts and retitled the stolen luxury cars, including a Bentley and a Rolls-Royce. According to the prosecution, each of the five cases was related to a different vehicle. Baquedano estimated the theft was at least $1.7 million.
“He sends them over to other countries,” Baquedano said.
Baquedano asked Espinosa to revoke Khan’s bond adding that he was a flight risk, and he had a ticket to fly Friday to San Salvador, Salvador. The state requested a $1 million bond, plus house arrest, and an order for him to surrender his passport.
According to the prosecution, Khan, who had convictions in Georgia and Minnesota, was arrested on a bench warrant in June and he was extradited in July to Minnesota for a case related to firearms.
According to Baquedano, prosecutors in Minnesota filed four cases against him for possession of machine guns and short guns, receiving stolen property, and theft by swindling.
Baquedano said Khan was the local leader of a criminal enterprise with national and international ramifications and there was an ongoing investigation.
“If he ends up disappearing, which he potentially could, we would be stuck,” Baquedano said.
Miami-Dade County court records show Khan is facing 12 charges in five pending cases. Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Zachary James was set to preside over the cases.
In three Miami Beach cases, Khan faced three counts of vehicle title/forge, alter, and third-degree grand theft of a vehicle.
In a Miami case, he faced charges of first-degree grand theft, dealing or managing stolen property, conspiracy of first-degree grand theft, and unlawful use of a communication device.
Khan also faced another case with one charge of false name/identification/after arrest/adverse affect, and unlawful possession of four or fewer identifications. Espinosa set his bond at $1,033,000, allowed house arrest with GPS, and ordered him to surrender his passport.
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