Silence filled the courtroom as the tribunal read out an unprecedented sentence in Guanajuato. After months of investigations and a lengthy judicial process, lawyer Edgar Francisco Franco Ríos was sentenced to 1,018 years and four months in prison for defrauding 107 people who trusted his promise of helping them purchase low-cost homes.
The ruling, considered the harshest ever issued by a trial court in the state’s history, also ordered the convicted man to compensate the victims for their financial losses by paying more than 33 million pesos.
The Fraud That Convinced More Than One Hundred People
Behind this historic sentence lies a case that affected the assets of more than one hundred families. According to the Guanajuato State Attorney General’s Office, Franco Ríos operated through the law firm Punto Legal, located in the city of León, where he offered what he claimed were opportunities to purchase properties at prices far below their market value.
The offers were promoted mainly through social media and online real estate platforms. The properties were presented as foreclosed homes or properties involved in legal proceedings, with prices ranging from 200,000 to 250,000 pesos, payable in cash.
To make the scheme appear legitimate, the lawyer presented documents that appeared to have been validated by public notaries, generating confidence among buyers. However, investigators later proved that the properties being offered could not legally be sold because Franco Ríos had no legal authority over them. In many cases, the properties were not even involved in any legal proceedings.
Over time, dozens of people realized they had paid substantial amounts of money without receiving the promised homes. Complaints continued to accumulate until the Attorney General’s Office built a case that proved the fraud committed against 107 victims.
A Historic Sentence
The judicial process concluded with two rulings issued on June 26 and June 30, 2026. In the first decision, the court imposed a sentence of 438 years and four months in prison. The second ruling added another 580 years, resulting in a combined sentence of 1,018 years and four months.
Although Guanajuato’s criminal law establishes that a person cannot remain imprisoned for more than 80 years, the cumulative sentence reflects the seriousness of the harm caused and the number of crimes proven during the trial.
State Attorney General Gerardo Vázquez Alatriste described the ruling as historic and stated that it sets an important precedent in protecting the rights of fraud victims.
In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered full restitution of damages. The convicted man must pay:
- 29,923,100 pesos for material damages.
- 3,326,490 pesos for moral damages.
- 148,500 pesos for additional losses suffered by the victims.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, the most significant aspect of the ruling is not only the length of the prison sentence but also the obligation to return the money obtained illegally, with the goal of providing justice to those who lost part of their financial assets.
Recommendations to Avoid Real Estate Fraud
The case also highlights the risks of trusting real estate offers that promise properties at prices far below market value. Authorities recommend:
- Verifying the legal status of any property.
- Confirming the authenticity of all documentation.
- Consulting official authorities before making large financial payments.
With this sentence, Guanajuato has recorded one of the most significant rulings involving fraud, a decision intended to send a clear message that large-scale property crimes can result in equally extraordinary judicial consequences
Source: informador
