A Florida man is accused of posing as a popular pizza place that once received a positive review from Barstool Sports founder and pizza critic Dave Portnoy, tricking unsuspecting tourists into ordering undercooked and “falsely priced” food.
Jose Marti Alvarez, 55, is accused of “falsely advertising” his restaurant in a Miami Springs hotel as the “Popular Roman’s Pizzeria” and then tricking hungry customers into buying food they couldn’t eat in order to make money from the restaurant’s bad publicity. police.
Marti Alvarez is said to have targeted a hotel near Miami International Airport.
Police say the suspected fraudster continued his fraudulent activities over several years, gradually damaging Roman’s Pizzeria’s reputation.
Customers have complained to the Better Business Bureau and posted negative reviews online about the actual pizza place.
Jesus Roman, owner of Roman’s Pizzeria, said he has been dealing with the issue for years and only became aware of the scam after angry customers contacted his business.
“Sometimes they come to the store angry and claim, ‘Where is the food?'” Roman said. Local 10.
“We have to explain to them that that’s not who we are.”
After the complaints started piling up, Roman, who has run the pizza place for more than 40 years, said he filed a police report.
Marti Alvarez was arrested by police on Monday and booked into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
The alleged fraudsters were charged with “organized fraud scheme.”
Police said the pizza scam suspect also faces aggravated assault charges for allegedly hitting a hotel staff member with his vehicle while trying to flee the scene after being comforted in the parking lot.
According to Local 10, Marti-Alvarez appeared in Miami-Dade County Court on Monday and was ordered by Judge Mindy Glaser to avoid the Days Inn, the hotel where he punched the employee.
After learning about Martí Alvarez’s arrest, Roman sent a stern message to the man who ruined his business reputation.
“At least if you’re going to do something, do it right,” he told Local 10.
Portnoy Rating of pizzerias in Rome April 2022 and BranThe restaurant’s Plan Cheese Pizza was given a “solid 7.4” rating.
“The best thing about this pizza is the crust. It’s super fresh and super light with a nice base,” the Barstool Sports founder said in his review.
Pizza lovers have dubbed the pizza “football pizza”, saying it’s perfect for relaxing during Sunday kick-off and that they would order it “100 times out of 100” and wouldn’t be disappointed.
“It’s pretty tasty, and to be honest the crust is probably about a 7.8,” the pizza connoisseur said in his final comment about the pizza.
