Four Florida Men Arrested in Bail Bonds Scheme Investigation

Eduardo Francisco Caceres, Alexander Michael Rispa, Luis Angel Hernandez Salas, and Juan Carlos Soto Arraga (FDLE)

A joint operation between the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and the Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS) has resulted in the arrest of four men accused of armed kidnapping and violating Florida’s bail bond laws.

The suspects include:

Alexander Michael Rispa, 43, of Homestead
Luis Angel Hernandez Salas, 34, of Florida City
Eduardo Francisco Caceres, 47, of Miami-Dade County
Juan Carlos Soto Arraga, 30, of Miami-Dade County

All four face charges for acting beyond the legal authority of licensed bail bondsmen.

“These men knowingly took advantage of the system and violated Florida State Statutes,” said Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia. “We are a law-and-order state. We will not tolerate individuals fraudulently presenting themselves, or any other financial crimes, as they impact the citizens of our great State of Florida.”

Alleged Scheme and Charges

Investigators allege the men were involved in a scheme to defraud. Rispa, Hernandez Salas, and Caceres also face charges of armed kidnapping and battery. Each of the four is charged with:

Unlawful use of a two-way communication device
Violation of licensure and appointment requirements
Conspiracy

The probe began on May 14, when a DFS detective alerted FDLE Miami about an illegally operating bail bonds company in Monroe and Miami-Dade counties.

According to findings, on January 1, 2022, Rispa, Caceres, and Hernandez Salas allegedly entered a victim’s home armed with guns and forcibly removed them without legal authority. The men were reportedly wearing badges and body armor labeled “AGENT”, a direct violation of Florida law.

Officials’ Response

FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass said:

“These individuals disregarded the regulations for bail bonds and acted outside of their appointed duties by forcibly removing the victims from their homes while armed. The commendable joint effort between our FDLE agents and DFS investigators was a key factor in holding these schemers accountable.”

Additional Findings

Rispa and Hernandez Salas were not legally appointed by the insurance company listed in their records at the time of the alleged crime.
Soto Arraga, who is not licensed as a Florida bail bond agent, allegedly made unlawful contact with several Monroe County inmates between May 2023 and January 2024.

Arrests and Next Steps

On September 16, Rispa, Hernandez Salas, and Soto Arraga surrendered at the Monroe County Jail. Caceres turned himself in to the FDLE Miami Regional Operations Center on September 17 and was later moved to the Turner Guilford Knight Detention Center.

Following the arrests, multiple search warrants were executed in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. The State Attorney’s Office of the 16th Judicial Circuit is prosecuting the case.