In a significant victory against transnational organized crime, Dominican authorities have secured convictions against 17 individuals and two corporate entities for operating an elaborate cyber fraud scheme that systematically targeted elderly American retirees. The verdict concludes Operation Discovery 2.0, an extensive multinational investigation initiated in 2023 that exposed a sophisticated network specializing in identity theft, large-scale fraud, and international money laundering.
The judicial outcome, delivered by the First Court following a two-year investigation led by the General Directorate of Prosecution and Santiago Prosecutor’s Office, resulted in substantial prison terms ranging from four to seven years for primary offenders. The court additionally ordered the compulsory dissolution of two front companies instrumental to the operation and mandated comprehensive asset forfeiture, transferring all confiscated illicit proceeds to the Dominican State.
According to Prosecutor Warlyn Alberto Tavares Reyes, the criminal enterprise operated through clandestine call centers masquerading as legitimate service providers. Utilizing advanced technological infrastructure, the network executed coordinated cyber fraud campaigns that specifically targeted vulnerable elderly populations in the United States, systematically draining victims’ lifetime savings.
The investigation exemplified international law enforcement collaboration, with Dominican authorities working closely with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Special Division for Transnational Crime Investigation (DEDIDET). Investigators compiled an extensive evidentiary portfolio exceeding 450 items, including judicially authorized wiretap recordings, documentary evidence, electronic devices, and critical witness testimonies that substantiated charges of criminal conspiracy, aggravated fraud, identity theft, and money laundering. This cooperation facilitated the extradition and prosecution of additional suspects located in United States territory.
The judicial dissolution targeted two corporations central to the criminal infrastructure: Agnes Travel SRL and Urtarte’s Paradise Call Center SRL. Law enforcement seizures included approximately RD$2 million and US$84,000 in cash, multiple vehicles, firearms, sophisticated electronic equipment, jewelry, and real estate properties acquired with illicit funds.
Miguel Ángel Camilo Pérez (alias Camilo/Milo), identified as a principal network leader, received the maximum sentence of seven years imprisonment. Other key figures including Freddy William Urtarte (Metra), Juan Armando Vásquez Ramírez (Peligro), and several co-conspirators were sentenced to four-year prison terms, while multiple secondary defendants received suspended sentences of equivalent duration.