The victims of the earthquake last August 10 in Risaralda have just been hit with a new concern: Besides rebuilding their homes, they now remain on alert because unscrupulous people are selling their properties.
The case came to light with the recent arrest of a woman who, taking advantage of the emergency, tried to sell properties with fake documents of earthquake victims.
Silicone fingerprints
The woman was caught red-handed at Notary 2 in the city of Dosquebradas, when she had everything ready to sell a lot that did not belong to her, according to the Police, for 400 million pesos. Although in the fake sales contract the value was 95 million pesos.
Investigators from Sijín and the Pereira Police intercepted the woman and found that she had in her possession an ID belonging to the owner of the lot, property deeds, and silicone fingerprints.
The Investigative Unit of EL TIEMPO established that the arrested woman was identified as Yulieth Nathalia Motta Díaz, 41 years old and originally from Fresno, Tolima.
According to the report, an investigator allegedly posed as the buyer of the property and identified that the original owner’s ID was modified with the photo of the alleged scammer.
Also, at the time of the transaction, the woman had silicone fingerprints adhered to her fingers.
The seller’s record
The Investigative Unit of EL TIEMPO had access to the seized documents, in which it is stated that the property she was going to sell illegally is located at Carrera 23 #32 A, in the city of Dosquebradas.
The true owner of the property is a woman dedicated to the music events business and residing in the United States. Additionally, she is the wife of a well-known local singer.
EL TIEMPO investigated and established that the arrested Motta Díaz already had a conviction for procedural fraud, use of false public documents, fraud, and obtaining false public documents, for which she was sentenced to 5 years in prison in 2012.
She also has records for identity theft in 2023 and prison escapes in 2020, 2019, and 2014.
(Check here all the articles from the Investigative Unit of EL TIEMPO)
According to information from the Prosecutor’s Office, in 2018 Motta Díaz was arrested and accused of being part of a criminal organization called ‘Los Monarcas,’ which is dedicated to impersonating others to obtain loans for vehicle purchases, among other fraudulent activities.
Now, the investigation seeks to determine if this case is related to a broader scheme of impersonation and document forgery to try to appropriate or sell others’ properties, as well as to identify possible involvement of other people in the criminal network.
INVESTIGATIVE UNIT
u.investigativa@eltiempo.com
@UinvestigativaET
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