Two jewelers accused of defrauding a man out of more than $70,000 by selling him counterfeit high-end watches have been arrested, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office. 

The man said he bought several Rolex watches from Jonathan Parra and Paula Sanchez Zapata, known jewelers, who claimed they were authentic, investigators said.

"According to investigators, the victim got out of the pool and noticed a watch had water in it. He started to question the authenticity of it. He hired an independent jeweler who did a study and determined that all three watches were fake and not authentic," Miami-Dade Detective Argemis Colome said. 

The jeweler also said one of the watches, which had been sold to the man as new, was actually more than 10 years old, according to investigators.

When the man tried to contact Parra, 37, and Sanchez, 33, investigators said they ceased all communications with him and also blocked him from their social media accounts.

Miami-Dade detectives tracked Parra and Sanchez to a home in Cape Coral. With the assistance of the Cape Coral Police Department, a search warrant was executed and the couple was arrested.

They are awaiting extradition to Miami-Dade.

Parra and Sanchez have been charged with one count each of organized fraud/scheme to defraud $50,000 or more.

Sheriff's investigators said Parra and Sanchez did not operate out of a store, but claimed to be independent jewelers.

"What worries us is that these individuals are very organized and showed up in a good car. They operated by word of mouth and people put their trust in these individuals," Colome said. 

Colome said buyers can avoid schemes like this.   

"We're asking you to go reputable sources. We have authorized dealers. We have stores that are authorized to sell these products. That way you can avoid yourself being scammed or defrauded," Colome said. 

Given Parra and Sanchez's long-standing involvement in the jewelry business, detectives believe there may be additional victims.

"If you have seen these two individuals, or have been interacting with them, or purchasing jewelry from them, make sure you have it checked out and make sure it's authentic. If you see any problems, it's time to call us," Colome said.