Erick “N,” the alleged leader of the so-called Chiapas “Real Estate Cartel,” was arrested this Tuesday and presented in Mexico City. After his capture, a group of defrauded individuals warned that he and others involved will have to answer for all the damage caused.
After years of relentless pursuit of justice, Heyné González, one of the victims, stated that Erick “N” has at least thirty open investigation files for crimes such as fraud.
“We feel great relief to see that this case will not go unpunished. It’s a way to begin to repair some of the damage done to us,” she said, acknowledging the work of the Prosecutor’s Office and other authorities.
Her property was already occupied, the victim says.
In her case, she recalled that she has been demanding justice since 2004, when Erick “N” promised her a house valued at least 3.5 million pesos. “One day he told me I could occupy my property, but when I arrived, someone else was already living there.”
Although he hasn’t recovered everything, he affirmed that the process is moving forward, thanks to his strong pressure. He is convinced that not only his case, but also those of many other victims, are “well-founded.” Now, he said, those responsible will have to answer to the law.
María Eugenia Salcedo, over 70 years old, also knows what this arrest entails. Erick “N” snatched more than a million pesos from her with the promise of an apartment in Tuxtla Gutiérrez that never existed.
“Eight years ago I bought something that wasn’t going to exist. I paid, and he stripped me of everything. I’m a widow, and my health has deteriorated terribly,” she lamented.
He also acknowledged the actions of the current Chiapas government and demanded no impunity for those who harmed them.
The fraud was so devastating that, she said, she has been living with a friend who took her in for some time, as she had sold her own home in the hope of something better. She had been promised a “dressed” apartment, that is, one equipped with a closet and other finishes. However, the property where the project would be built was abandoned, as La Silla Rota was able to verify this Wednesday.
“On May 10, 2017, I gave myself nothing,” she reiterated.
The most painful thing, she emphasized, is that Erick “N” studied with one of her sons, which apparently facilitated the deception. “Everything was so well set up… they even took me to the site where my dream apartment would be, with a pool and other amenities. They showed me the machinery and even offered to make changes. They involved us without us even realizing it.”
Governments Complicit?
Maricela Palacios held Erick “N” directly responsible for stealing her assets and accused the two previous administrations of protecting him. “I can say that 90 percent of the victims are women,” she stated.
She trusted the will of the current governor, Eduardo Ramírez Aguilar, and asserted that this criminal network also involved front men, notaries public, and other actors who benefited from the theft of her assets.
For his part, Miguel Ángel Vázquez López, another victim of the “Real Estate Cartel,” celebrated that there is finally hope of recovering his assets, “something that didn’t happen in previous administrations.”
She explained that during Manuel Velasco Coello’s administration, the cases remained stalled, and that, although they seemed to be moving forward, the situation was actually more complicated than it seemed.
Rosario Gómez, who was unable to attend the press conference due to an initial hearing at the “El Canelo” Trial Court, stated by telephone that, after 14 years, justice will finally be served for her family, especially for her mother, Guillermina (now deceased), who was robbed of almost four hectares by Erick “N” and others, where the private subdivision “Ámbar” was later built.
“It has been a long and exhausting process, but we continue forward.
We are very grateful to the media and the current authorities of Chiapas, especially the governor, for capturing this man who had been hiding for years,” she commented.
This Wednesday, he revealed, two more arrest warrants were executed against Erick “N,” “a character who stole my mother’s assets. During the last six-year term, we fought and fought, but nothing happened…”
The fraud network, Heyné González warned again, is so extensive that it extends to other states such as Oaxaca, Mexico City, and Monterrey.
He affirmed that another of those responsible who must be held accountable is Gustavo “N,” another alleged leader of the criminal group.
As has been documented, Viridiana “N,” also linked to the “Real Estate Cartel,” has been imprisoned since May of last year at the State Center for Social Reintegration for Sentenced Persons No. 14, “El Amate,” in Cintalapa de Figueroa. She is listed as an associate of Erick and Gustavo, so, Heyné affirmed, she cannot be considered a victim, as some have tried to argue.
Alleged leader of the Chiapas Real Estate Cartel arrested in Mexico City
Erick “N,” the alleged leader of the so-called Chiapas “Real Estate Cartel,” was arrested this Tuesday by the Mexico City Attorney General’s Office, accused of specific fraud against Angélica “N,” in an incident that occurred in Mexico City.
The Chiapas State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) stated that the suspect is currently in the “El Canelo” Trial Court, located in the municipality of Chiapa de Corzo, where his legal status will be determined.
However, Erick “N” is likely to face further charges, as, along with others, he engaged in a series of frauds such as the “double sale of homes” and even deceiving elderly people out of their assets, as La Silla Rota has documented over the years.
The Real Estate Cartel Associates
On May 9 of last year, Viridiana “N,” another alleged member of the fraudsters’ group, was transferred to “El Canelo” and then to the Social Reintegration Center for Sentenced Persons (CERSS) number 14, “El Amate,” located in Cintalapa de Figueroa, in the same state in southeastern Mexico.
Read also: “One day I walked into my house and someone else was watering the grass”: This is how the real estate mafia operates in Chiapas
She was also charged with allegedly committing fraud against several people, in complicity with Erick “N” and another individual named Gustavo “N,” who is also being sought.
In a brief interview with La Silla Rota, Rosario Gómez Flores, whose mother, Guillermina Flores López (late), was a victim of the “Real Estate Cartel” 14 years ago, praised the actions of the Chiapas authorities and thanked Governor Eduardo Ramírez Aguilar and the Attorney General’s Office for the arrest of Erick “N.”
Source: lasillarota
