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Seven Charged in Panama-Colombia Ponzi Case
By Gerardo Reyes, El Nuevo Herald
The principal suspects in a
multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme linked to
scandals of alleged illicit payments to
officials in Colombia and presidential
candidates in Panama have been charged in a
New York federal court with laundering drug
trafficking profits.
At least 11 properties in South Florida and
California have been seized in connection
with the case, which involves the firm DMG
and its principal broker and owner, David
Murcia Guzmán. Six others were also charged.
According to the charges, the organization
opened an account at a U.S. branch office of
Merrill Lynch and deposited us$2.1 million,
an amount prosecutors hope to show is
connected to money Mexican drug cartels paid
to Colombian drug traffickers.
Following the scandal, several Colombian
officials and one of President Alvaro
Uribe's sons had to explain their links to
the suspects.
In investigating if they received money from
Murcia, Panama's electoral tribunal on
Friday stripped legal privileges from two
presidential candidates, Balbina Herrera and
Ricardo Martinelli.
As part of the scheme, the suspects created
a New York company that then purchased five
office units at 175 SW Seventh St. in Miami
as well as other real estate in Miami's
Brickell district, Aventura and Miami Beach.
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