Con artist who posed as OIJ agent to defraud victims gets 15 years

December 11^th, 2014 (InsideCostaRica.com) A man who posed as an OIJ officer to gain the trust of his victims was sentenced to 15 years in prison this week.

Jose Miguel Garcia Espinoza was found guilty of conning 14 victims out of ¢18 million by the Criminal Court of Liberia.

According to prosecutors, Garcia, posing as an OIJ agent with the Santa Cruz, Guanacaste field office in order to gain the confidence of his victims, convinced 14 people to purchase vehicles that were supposedly located in San Jose at discount prices.  Garcia offered to hold the vehicles while the victims made monthly payments to his bank account.  The victims were told that when they had completed making their payments, they could go to San Jose to pick up the vehicles.

However, once the victims completed making the payments, Garcia would disappear.

Trial judges Guillermo Arce, Max Baltodano and Mario Guido handed down the 15-year sentence on Wednesday.