The Trial Court of Puebla City issued a guilty verdict against four men, including the former mayor of Tehuacán, René Lezama Aradillas, for a multi-million-peso fraud committed nearly eight years ago against local investors through the popular financial institution La Perseverancia del Valle de Tehuacán, S.A. de C.V.
The court ruling established the criminal responsibility of Rodrigo N., René N., Arturo N., and Oswaldo N. for the crime of fraud, after confirming that they were members of the Board of Directors and attracted funds by offering returns higher than those offered by banks. To lure savers, they falsely claimed to have current authorization from the National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV).
The investigations revealed that, by August 2010, the victims had invested more than 10 million pesos. However, around 2018, they began to notice branch closures and a refusal to return their money, confirming the scam and leading to a class-action lawsuit.
The CNBV (National Banking and Securities Commission) had already warned of irregularities and revoked the financial institution’s operating permit; even so, those involved continued promising payments they never made, until La Perseverancia closed permanently without refunding the deposits.
The hearing to determine the sentence and the amount of damages was scheduled for Tuesday, February 3, at 12:00 p.m., where the corresponding sanctions will be determined.
In 2023, the former mayor from the PAN (National Action Party), René Lezama Aradillas, along with businessmen Marco Antonio N., Rodrigo Amaro N., Arturo Neira N., Carlos González N., Oswaldo García N., and Eucario León N., were also indicted for this multi-million-dollar fraud; however, only some of them advanced to the trial stage.
Source: diariocambio
