New details in an alleged auto dealership scam reveal the suspect had admitted to police that he used the victims’ money on his gambling addiction, a judge revealed Tuesday.

Carlos Ravelo, 51, was in court to face 11 counts against him including organized fraud and theft of the elderly.

“What even makes this more sad is that I guess a lot of these people are elderly, and I guess the elderly people knew his mother, and that’s why they went to go do business with him,” said the presiding judge.

Police said he used his position as a former finance manager at AutoNation Honda Miami Lakes to rip off clients by promising a cheaper used car if they paid in cash.

© Provided by NBC Miami Carlos Ravelo

“He admitted to the police officer he has a gambling problem and spent all their money,” said the judge.

Ravelo is accused of stealing upwards of $50,000. The allegations left his landlord stunned.

“I rent to him about three months ago and he seems like a nice guy and lives with his mom, pays the rent on time and pays everything on time, but I had no idea that he would be in trouble,” said the landlord, who asked to only be identified as Marcos.

On Monday, Ravelo was arrested at Kendall Hyundai, where he was hired within the last month.

Employees said they haven’t received any complaints from customers there but declined to speak on the record.

According to the police report, the investigation into Ravelo started back in January when a victim came forward. Since then, at least seven victims have been identified but police believe there could be more.

One of the first victims to come forward was “Jaime,” who claimed the suspect stole almost $10,000 from him and when he called to confront him, he was threatened.

“I told him he needed to give me my money back, and that the $9,800 wasn’t a gift. I told him I was going to report him, and he said that if I reported him, he was going to kill me and then kill himself,” said Jaime in Spanish.

Jaime said he had known Ravelo since 2017 and even purchased four cars from him in the past. He never imagined this would happen.

Ravelo is being represented by a private attorney. A judge imposed a $45,000 bond but he first must prove that the money is coming from legitimate sources.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, there are resources available to help. You can call the national helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER.