A single Dominican family residing in the United States deposited more than US$55,000
By Escarlin Pozo
El Inmobiliario
SANTO DOMINGO.- According to the file requesting the imposition of coercive measures, prepared by the Public Ministry (MP), more than 500 transactions were carried out from the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada and Great Britain, by those affected by the alleged real estate scam, orchestrated since 2021 by the company Novasco Real Estate SRL.
Of the victims listed in the court document, 79 transactions for "payments for the purchase or advance payment of apartments" originated in Puerto Rico, and more than 400 came from the United States. Three transactions were registered from Canada, while two were documented from Great Britain.
According to the statement made by the MP, during the period 2021-2024, the total amount received through transactions, both nationally and abroad, amounts to 18,851,583.12 dollars –18 million –.
Of the total movements, $6,597,087.81 – six million – correspond to the international payments that were received after the alleged sale of apartments that would be located in the Romana Victoriana Residences and Bávaro Victoriana Residences projects.
Case: Víctor Andújar
Victor Andújar, a Dominican who has lived with his family in the United States since August 2018, is one of those affected, after having paid 50% of the price of two apartments in the La Romana real estate development.
It all started in April 2022, after learning about this project through social media. He, his wife, and one of his daughters, who was working during her summer break from university, joined forces to take this big step and invest in these properties.
One of the Dominican families affected by the alleged Novasco Real Estate case. (EXTERNAL SOURCE).
All of his savings were deposited there, driven by the dream of acquiring two properties with well-defined purposes: the first, intended to enjoy his stays in his beloved country; and the second, conceived as an investment to generate income through the short rental platform Airbnb.
He faithfully sent the money without having the slightest idea that it was a supposed criminal network, as the Public Prosecutor's Office indicates.
Speaking to El Inmobiliario, he says that in June 2022 he made the reservation payment and, later, proceeded to pay 10% of the two apartments, the first one-bedroom property and the second a penthouse.
By the end of 2024, Andújar had already paid more than 50% of both apartments, as he usually deposited three months in advance, about $5,000 per transaction.
The first to visit the site where the apartments were to be built was his wife, who went to La Romana with two of her daughters. But there she only saw a cleared plot of land with a small shed in plain sight.
This scene remained etched in his wife's memory. As the months passed, she began to question Víctor about the lack of progress on the real estate project.
The answers she received from him were a replica of the justifications given by Rocío del Alba Rodríguez de Moya, the real estate agent who had acquired the RE/MAX ONE franchise for her sales operations.
“I asked her what was happening with the project, because I know that sometimes there can be delays. She told me no, that an engineer had died, and then there were some permits missing,” he recounted.
When he arrived in the country for Mother's Day in May 2024, he participated in a meeting with a manager of a national bank, with whom he had financed another apartment located on Jacobo Majluta, which led him, after a few questions from her, to assume that something shady was going on in the La Romana project.
“I told him that I had already paid more than 50% and that they hadn't delivered it. Then, he told me not to keep paying and to open an account and deposit that money,” he explained.
Following this advice, he recounted that they made the decision to deliver a letter to Novasco Real Estate, informing them that they would not continue with the payments until the project started.
“This has affected me because it destabilizes me, both financially and emotionally. My wife is very hesitant to invest again,” he said with great regret.
However, despite this difficult experience that has affected her family, she has not lost hope of continuing to fight and seek opportunities to realize her plans.
Andújar, 52, sends a message to society in general: “Don’t lose faith, but be very careful, investigate thoroughly, and the State should take this into account, as it affects tourism and investment.”.
According to his testimony, he acquired a 126 square meter penthouse for approximately $100,000 and a 45 square meter apartment for $40,000, which added up to a total investment of more than $55,000.
