The opulence displayed by the businessman Jairo Gonzalez in his social networks, his family, his sympathy, his past as a Christian musician in the Los Alcarrizos municipality and the appearance of legality that he showed in his company Harvest Trading Capwas what seduced investors of different social status.
At least 50 people denounced González, 29, and his partner kelmin santosfor scam. Others filed a formal complaint and added the crimes of breach of trust and association of criminals. The Attorney General of the Republic confirmed that it opened an investigation in this regard.
Via Harvest Trading Capa company registered in 2019, González raised funds in dollars from his clients in the Dominican Republic, supposedly, to invest them in the different capital markets or stock market and cryptocurrencies via brokers Internet, although it does not have the permission of the Superintendency of the Stock Market (SIMV) of the Dominican Republic.
It supposedly required a minimum investment of $5,000. Cristina Marizán did not ask. “I gave him 15,000 thousand dollars because three of my friends invested in his company and I saw that they were doing very well.” His father also handed over the same amount of money.
Marizán said that under pressure she managed to get her father returned 3,400 dollars of the 15 thousand that she invested, but she, who delivered her capital in May 2022 to receive the profits and the entire amount invested in November of that same year, has not obtained anything to date.
This Monday, he finalized details with the law firm Asesolex SRL & Lex Union in the person of lawyers Miguel de León Carbonell, Wáscar Olmos and Francelly Prensa, who represent three other alleged victims of fraud, contacted by Free Daily last Friday.
“One is motivated to invest because they see a solid company, which is not in a backyard, and has a good profile, with branches, a person who goes to several responsible media outlets and, in short, one trusts…”, expressed the complainant Jose Aquilino Espinal RodriguezGonzález’s cousin-in-law, who revealed that he began investing in Harvest Trading Cap since September 2021 and that to date, “I have 60,000 dollars invested, I have 21,000 dollars in accounts payable, and they only deposited 5,500 dollars.”
The solid company that Espinal Rodríguez refers to, who no longer believes in González’s excuses, was created according to statements by the owner when he was 21 years old (in 2015). Although the Open Corporates portal indicates that the entity was registered at the National Office of Industrial Property (Onapi) on May 30, 2019.
González is also the owner of the Harvest Trading Cap Academy (registered in 2021), where he teaches courses for beginners and those interested in the world of trading and investing in cryptocurrencies.
The businessman, who has traveled several countries and the media to publicize his project, confessed that he comes from nothing, “a humble young man, but with many dreams.”
González said in one of his videos on a channel Youtube from his company who studied Business Administration, but did not graduate due to lack of resources. He did not reveal which Dominican university he studied at.
However, it is defined as “professional trader, financial analyst, economist and expert in international negotiations, MINI-MBA in Stock Market analysis, BlockChain Technology and cryptocurrencies”.
Although due to his past and young age it was questionable that he could have the expertise he advertised about trading, the opulence he displayed, his willingness to sign “contracts” and the high benefits he promised his investors: 10% per month, he attracted so many, like a 40-year-old man, who asked to keep his identity hidden, and who with papers in his hands awaits the hope that his money will be returned to him, despite the complaints against González and his partner.
“He has a problem monetizing, what happens is that there are people who do not understand the business, I signed the settlement and I will wait,” he told Free Daily.
He continued, “I signed the contract and I didn’t see that I was being ripped off. I feel that the problem is that Harvest does not let you move your money that is outside the United States and because of the alarms in the banking system, ”he said.
Like González, the anonymous investor believes that the main problem is the uncertainty that requests the return of money at the same time at a time when the company cannot move its funds.
He is concerned about the future of the businessman with the complaints, because he considers that being subjected to justice there are less chances of return on investment.
Where is the investor money?
González has not clearly said why since last June he has not paid what was agreed to to his clients. He mentions various factors such as the Russian War in Ukraine, the US blockade of brokers Russians in Cyprus, blocking their bank accounts in the Dominican Republic, but says the latter problem has been resolved.
In an interview he gave to Free Daily He said that his clients’ money is fully invested in international financial markets and requests a period of 180 days, extendable, to pay.
“We are doing a process of time, because as you place outside and you have such a strong drop in crypto, all of this affects the internal economy, so bringing in that money entails a monetization process that takes time. We have spent months developing a structure and looking for other structures in favor, because it is what I need, we know that there are problems and it affects the whole world,” he said.
Marizán does not believe in any of his excuses, rather it is from the theory that he spent the money for his opulences: “For me, he has already spent all the money on private trips, cars, apartments, in the branches of his companies and offices in luxury towers.”
Contracts and clauses
González and his company Harvest Trading Cap received the funds as a loan, and not as an investment, so as not to carry out “financial intermediation”, an activity for which he does not have permission from the Superintendency of Banks.
In the contracts to which he had access free newspaper, the company received the funds as loans, supposedly, to invest them in various negotiations of the different capital markets or stock markets through an internet broker, purchase of shares in the Wall Street market, Foreign Exchange Market (FOREX), Commodities, ETFS, Stock Indices and Raw Materials.
The contracts were initially signed for a period of three months, with a guarantee of a 10% monthly profit that was delivered at the cutoff or monthly on the 15th or 30th of each month, later they were extended to six months and with a profit margin of 8%.
This document established that, “Yes, in the event that the internet broker that Harvest Trading Cap works with ceases to exist and is public and confirmed news, said contract will be terminated or terminated in full right and 100% of its capital will be returned to it.
According to paragraph 6 of that contract, if the “investor”, or rather the depositor, refused to sign the contract after delivering their funds, 10% of the money deposited to the company could be deducted “for costs of time and dedication to get him into our company”.
But, if you get to sign and then want to revoke the contract, the document established that the investment company could apply a penalty of 30% of the capital delivered and the rest would be made in 45 working days.
Today, González’s clients, lenders or creditors are faced with a company that tells him the money is being held in Europe and he cannot pay them.
González, who admitted the debt, to get out of this situation has arranged to close the contracts through a controversial discharge or settlement agreement with his legal department that does not guarantee a date for the return of the funds and intends to deny the right to his clients to resort to circumventing this problem in court.
“The second part, desist from now and forever from all judicial and extrajudicial actions both in the civil and criminal jurisdiction of the National District and of any instance court of the Dominican Republic, as well as in any instance in which they are being involved until the moment”, establishes the second paragraph of the agreement.
“State of illegality”
González affirms that the activity of his company is not illegal because the assets he manages are placed abroad, however, the economist Juan Ariel Jimenezhe pointed out, that due to the simple fact that its settlement in the Dominican Republic and its non-regulation by the supervisory entities is in a state of illegality.
“It is not legal to do so, and it is also highly risky. Securities intermediaries are entities regulated by the Securities Market Superintendence, which ensures that these intermediaries have the technical capabilities and the appropriate organizational design to make a correct investment of people’s savings, taking care not to exceed the risks ”, Jimenez said.
Since González’s company is not regulated by the Superintendence, this entity cannot apply the sanctions established for an apparent crime of fraud. Those affected by non-payment can only resort to justice.
Lawyer recommends investigating Jairo González for money laundering
Regarding the investigation carried out by the Public Ministry, and of which there are no further details, the lawyer Plutarco Jaquez said that the prosecuting body must prosecute the crime of money laundering in this case, to obtain an exemplary sentence against Jairo Gonzalezif found guilty.
“Obviously all these types of businesses are scams, they have a company that is not regulated, but they make you believe that they are legitimate businesses, that is deceiving people. Here in the country people have a little game, as it is a scam they are from six to two years in a correctional facility, but what the Ministry has to do is accuse him of money laundering”, he stated.
“Anyone who uses illegal money can be accused of money laundering, so not only must they be accused of fraud, they must be accused of money laundering”lawyer
What does the law say Money Laundering?
The Law 155-17 on Money Laundering establishes that he incurs the criminal offense of money laundering “The person who converts, transfers or transports assets, knowing that they are the proceeds of any of the preceding crimes, with the purpose of concealing, disguising or concealing the nature, origin, location, disposition, movement or real ownership of goods or rights over goods”, also whoever “conceals, disguises, or conceals the nature, origin, location, disposition, movement or real ownership of goods or rights over goods, knowing that said goods come from any of the preceding crimes.” Aggravated fraud is among the crimes precedents of this law.
