The president of the second room of the Supreme Court Of justice (SCJ), Francisco Jerez, ordered the Public Ministry to notify documents to the lawyer of Gerardo Heriberto Núñez Núñez, requested in extradition by the United States for his alleged involvement in the criminal network of the “grandparents’ scam”, linked to the Discovery 3.0 case.
The magistrate adopted his decision after hosting a request from the defense of Núñez Núñez, who stated before the Judges of the High Court that needed the accusing body to notify some documents occupied during a raid on the residence of his represented, in order to prepare his defense allegations and refute the extradition request.
For this reason, the President Judge postponed for next Tuesday 16 the hearing on the request for extradition against Núñez Núñez, so that the Public Ministry complies with the delivery of the documentation required by the defense.
The Dominican Public Ministry was represented by Osvaldo Bonilla, head of the Directorate of International Legal Assistance, Extraditions and Human Rights, together with the fiscal attorney Elvira Rodríguez.
The jurist Analdis Alcántara represented the requesting state, which in this case is the United States.
According to investigations, the criminal network used intimidation, deception and usurpation tactics.
The scammers contacted the elderly in different states of the US, making them pass through grandchildren who requested financial assistance for alleged emergencies, such as traffic accidents.
Subsequently, other members of the group made lawyers or police to persuade the victims of delivering large sums of cash. This fraudulent scheme was replicated in Discovery 1.0, 2.0 and now 3.0 operations, where several involved have already been extradited to the United States.
The authorities also reported that the organization carried out money laundering through a multinational travel company, using drivers to mobilize illicit money.
The main operations center was located in Santiago de los Caballeros.
Likewise, other defendants remain under coercion measures in Santiago for their alleged participation in the “grandparents’ scam” network of the Discovery 3.0 case, against whom the Public Ministry will present accusation in the coming months for the opening of preliminary trial.
