Yuri, wife absent from Court as police file 60 new ‘conspiracy to defraud’ charges

On Tuesday, the Guyana Police Force filed sixty (60) new charges against Cuban National Yuri Garcia and his Guyanese wife Ateeka Ishmael for the offence of conspiracy to defraud, allegedly committed on victims of a ponzi scheme.

Both suspects failed to appear at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday to answer the charges, the police said.

Their Attorney Dexter Todd produced two medical certificates to the police investigators which purport to show that they have both tested positive for the Covid-19 virus.

However, a perusal of the medical certificates by investigators has raised the suspicion that they may be bogus documents. Consequently, the police have launched an investigation to determine the authenticity of the medical certificates.

Dominguez had said previously, through his attorney, that he intends to refund some $100 million to over 3,000 investors, whose investments he was ‘managing’ in a forex trading account.

According to the Guyana Police Force, Dominguez and his wife solicited millions of dollars from hundreds of unsuspecting Guyanese, who were enticed by extraordinary returns of approximately 40 per cent. Investors were also encouraged to enlist additional investors on a 10 per cent commission basis.

The company was charged for operating without a license from the Guyana Securities Council and running a pyramid scheme and a Ponzi scheme; the couple is currently before the courts with over 100 charges of fraud.