The purchase of luxury automobiles and properties in the name of others (mostly willing but some not-so-willing) is one of the ways to money launder cash from illicit crime. Others are the opening entertainment locales and bars under legitimate commercial enterprises and carrying out murky transactions through currency exchange offices. The Attorney General Office lists these methods as those used by alleged drug kingpin Cesar Emilio Peralta (Cesar el Abusador), in his money laundering operations.
The Attorney General Office seeks pre-trial custody against Roberto Jose Caceres, Jose Bernabe Quiterio, former MLB pitcher Octavio Dotel and Obispo Feliz Lorenzo, the first arrested in the case against Cesar Emilio Peralta and his drug trafficking operation.
The case file indicates that there was a complete scheme for laundering the money from the Peralta large-scale operations of the cartel headed by Peralta. The Dominican government prosecutors file also includes retired MLB ballplayer Luis Castillo as one who “lent his name.” Dotel has explained he and Castillo are being tied to the case due to a US$1.6 million mortgage loan that they made to Eridania del Carmen Jorge Estrella in the case of two villas in Casa de Campo, one of which reportedly was property of convicted drug capo Quirino Ernesto Paulino. According to Dotel’s lawyers, the deal dates back to 2015. The lawyers noted that Dotel and Castillo were duped by the woman.
Read more:
El Nacional
Listin Diario
Boston
People
NY1
Fan Radio
12 Up
El Dia
ABC News
ABC News
El Tiempo
N Digital
N Digital
La Nacion Dominicana
26 August 2019