Jairo González was sentenced to five years in prison for defrauding more than 30 people through fraudulent cryptocurrency investments. The verdict, delivered on Tuesday, 25 February 2025 marked the culmination of a high-profile trial that has captured widespread attention.
Gonzalez had been serving pretrial detention since 10 March 2023 at the Correction and Rehabilitation Center of San Pedro de Macorís.
Gonzalez, the president of Harvest Groups & Asociados, was accused by more than 200 people of operating a financial scam that resulted in victims suffering losses of around US$100 million.
The court, presided over by judges Keyla Pérez Santana, Elías Santini Perera, and Arisleyda Méndez Bautista, also imposed a fine of RD$25 million pesos on the convicted fraudster. González, who operated through the firm Harvest Trading Cap, was found guilty of illegally soliciting funds with promises of returns exceeding 8% in the stock market and cryptocurrencies.
Gustavo López, an accomplice in the fraudulent scheme, received the same sentence under Article 408 of the Penal Code. Both González and López will serve their sentences at the Najayo Men’s Prison.
The initial complaint was filed in January 2023, when more than 30 individuals joined forces to accuse González of a massive fraud scheme. The Public Ministry initiated an investigation and discovered that González, along with other accomplices, operated without proper authorization to offer investment services.
Despite parallel legal proceedings initiated by the Public Ministry, the court deemed the accusations severe enough to warrant independent trials. The victims’ defense detailed that the trial lasted more than two years, reflecting the complexity of the case.
In addition to Jairo González and Gustavo López, five other individuals are implicated in the case: Kelmin Santos Rodríguez, Leandro González Espinal, Gregorix Polanco Estévez, Moisés González Rodríguez, and William Mejía Martínez.
All of them face charges of violating Law 249-17 on the Securities Market, which penalizes companies that operate as brokerage firms without proper authorization from the regulatory body.
The trial against those accused of violating this law is ongoing, while investigators continue to examine the extent of the crimes committed by those involved.
Read more in Spanish:
El Caribe
DR1 News
6 March 2025