(WSVN) - The owner of a tea packaging company was boiling mad after what was found dumped behind his business. It was all caught on camera, and now Miami-Dade County is investigating. Kevin Ozebek has tonight’s 7 Investigates.
Armin Dilles, business owner: “We have safflower right here, we have some licorice here and rose petals right there.” Holiday Gift Boxes
Armin Dilles owns the Doral-based company Dried Ingredients. They import and sell teas, herbs and spices across the country and beyond.
Armin Dilles: “For instance, iced teas for the restaurants, and then we’re shipping nationwide off to Canada. We’ve got customers in the Caribbean, Mexico, all over the place.”
But it was an incident right behind his business that left a bad taste in Armin’s mouth.
Armin Dilles: “It’s irritating. It’s pissing me off. It’s the only way I can say it.”
Surveillance video shows a commercial van pull up behind this warehouse on a Tuesday morning in February.
The driver gets out, goes to the back and begins to toss things from the van into Armin’s company dumpster.
Armin Dilles: “Box number one, and you see how big those boxes are.”
After tossing garbage — not one, not two, not three, but four times — the driver takes off.
Armin Dilles: “He’s gone, yup. Two minutes exactly is what he took.”
But it’s what he left behind that really alarmed Armin.
Armin Dilles: “When the warehouse guys told me they found some hydraulic cylinders in there and oil, I realized, like, look, this is not a regular waste.”
Stephen Gomez is the warehouse manager.
Stephen Gomez, employee: “From first glance you could clearly see the cylinder on the outside of the box with oil leaking all around it. There’s cables thrown around all at the bottom of the box and everything.”
Armin pays around $127 a month to have the dumpster emptied once a week, and the video shows it was emptied less than two hours before being refilled by the mystery man.
Armin Dilles: “We don’t have much trash to begin with. We’re very concerned about the trash that we have.”
We saw what happened, but who is responsible?
Turns out, another camera captured the name and phone number on the van, linking it to a garage door repair company located nearly 40 minutes north in Broward County.
Armin Dilles: “We saw the name of the company, and googled them, found them, obviously, right away.”
But Armin found getting answers from Coastal Garage Door Repair in Tamarac was not so simple.
Armin Dilles: “Call them up like, ‘Hey, this is what happened. I would like to talk to the management,’ and the gentleman on the phone gave me an attitude. I’m like, ‘Hey, I don’t think you understand what’s going on here,’ and he hung up on me.”
After several attempts, 7Investigates was able to connect with one of the company’s owners, Maxim Bohadana, by phone.
Maxim Bohadana: “I mean, we’re licensed contractors, so it’s a surprise to me that it even happened.”
And after watching the video, Bohadana says it was his own brother, running a personal errand using the company’s van, seen dumping the waste.
Maxim Bohadana: “I don’t know why he threw it away. We didn’t give him permission to do that. This is not something that we do, you know? So I’m honestly surprised about this and furious. I mean, I told him he’s never allowed to use the car anymore.”
Meanwhile, Miami-Dade County’s Department of Solid Waste Management tells 7 Investigates the owner has agreed to meet with them, and the case is being pursued as a possible civil violation.
Armin Dilles: “I hope the owner of the company reaches out to us and apologizes. He owes me a beer, at least. Make it a case. But jokes aside, I think the owner should be aware of that.”
And now, he is. Bohadana offered to personally apologize to Armin and reimburse him.
CONTACT 7 INVESTIGATES: 305-627-CLUE 954-921-CLUE 7Investigates@wsvn.com
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