The District Attorney of the National District, Yeni Berenice Reynoso, says that more than 20 people have filed complaints for alleged fraud against the pyramid scheme promoted by a company called TelexFree. She said that the plaintiffs belong to jurisdictions of the National District, the province of Santo Domingo and others. She told Diario Libre reporters that this was a very small number in relation to the total who have been cheated. It is estimated that 150,000 people were clients of the Ponzi scheme. She said that the authorities believe that they began recruiting people through a church called “El Nuevo Amanecer” (the New Dawn), in La Romana. She stated that the Santiago district attorneys have also been contacted by victims asking about the procedure for placing their complaints.
She called on citizens who have been swindled by TelexFree not to wait very long before complaining. “We do not see any chance, within the judicial framework, that the company can continue operating in the Dominican Republic after this investigation.” Although she refrained from identifying the plaintiffs, she said that the amounts varied from between RD$61,000 and US$300. She said it was painful to listen to the ordeals described by the victims, who took out loans, sold businesses and invested their life savings. “We are carrying out the investigation and the District Attorney and the Prosecutors are focused on the possibility of recovering assets.” She said that as a result, she is also investigating the issue of money laundering.