We need that man to return every peso, every dollar he stole from the Dominican diaspora, and to pay with jail time for the damage he has done to our country and to us as Dominican citizens.
SANTO DOMINGO– After welcoming the arrest of engineer Enmanuel Rivera Ledesma, the Dominican diaspora residing in the United States, affected by the real estate scam, yesterday called on the Dominican justice system to apply the full force of the law against the businessman, arrested early Wednesday morning through “Operation Nest”.
In a coordinated effort with a team from the National Police, which involved 25 raids in San Cristóbal, Dajabón, Espaillat, Sánchez Ramírez and the National District, the Public Ministry arrested Emmanuel Rivera Ledesma and other members of a network that defrauded people of millions of pesos by offering them homes in supposed real estate projects, through multiple fraudulent maneuvers.
“We call on the Dominican justice system from the United States to ensure that the laws are upheld as they should be, and that this doesn't end with a simple arrest or a staged show like the ones we've come to expect,” declared Dayanara Borbón, spokesperson for the Dominican community, whose members claim to have been defrauded of more than 3 million dollars.
“We need that man to return every peso, every dollar he stole from the Dominican diaspora, and to pay with jail time for the damage he has done to our country and to us as Dominican citizens,” the victim told El Inmobiliario , adding that he, along with his daughter and brother, had been defrauded of $60,000.
Borbón provided an updated list, dated December 12, with 123 names that she claims correspond to people whom Rivera Ledesma defrauded, while the Public Prosecutor's Office reported 144 complainants. "Some people don't like to expose themselves and prefer to lose the money, and others can't provide proof because they operate outside the U.S. accounting system," the leader explained.
He said that most of the victims of the scam are Dominicans living abroad, and even claimed that some live in Europe, Puerto Rico, and Miami
He calls for further investigation
For its part, the Association of Real Estate Agents and Companies of the María Trinidad Sánchez province (AIMTS) said it trusts that the investigations will be deepened so that the guilty parties receive the full weight of the law and the confidence of Dominicans residing abroad in investing in their country will be restored, trusting in the guarantee of the Dominican public system.
Edwin Guzmán García, president of the organization, stated that many of those affected by the criminal network of real estate scams are originally from Nagua, "and therefore we had requested the Dominican authorities to act swiftly and attentively on these criminal events, which affect mainly Dominicans residing abroad, who earn their income with great sacrifices and intense work, in most cases.".
He emphasized that the real estate sector, characterized by thousands of daily transactions that proceed normally and smoothly in the country, is satisfied with these initiatives of the public prosecutor's office, aimed at cleaning up the industry from these sporadic and isolated scandals that greatly affect the image of the sector in general.
He said that as an association they are pleased with the swift action of the Public Prosecutor's Office.
Protest in November
The Dominican diaspora, who paid significant sums of money for the acquisition of a property from the construction company IndisArq, gathered in late November of last year, 2023, in Upper Manhattan, New York, asking the justice system of the Creole nation to act on the real estate scam of which they were victims.
“We are here against real estate scams,” said the victims, who came from Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Jersey, among other states, with banners to protest and demand legal security.
The protesters claimed to have paid from US$10,000, US$15,000, US$21,000, US$31,000, US$39,000, US$48,000 up to US$60,000 to the construction company IndisArq, owned by architect Emmanuel Rivera, after signing a contract and paying the initial amount to acquire the property in Santo Domingo.
“My husband and I made sacrifices to take out loans to pay that money, and now they tell us we have nothing. That’s not fair,” Jennifer Diaz Genao told Univision, adding that she had paid US$37,000 as a down payment for an apartment valued at US$178,000 in Santo Domingo East.
