An American couple, settled in New York, apparently used Costa Rica to carry out drug-trafficking activities and, incidentally, conduct a criminal scheme to swindle more than $ 300,000 (about 160 million colones) to older adults .
Ricardo Castang, 35, and his wife Linda Altidor, 30, were arrested on March 8th and they could face high prison sentences for multiple crimes.
According to the Special Office on Narcotics of New York, both people are suspected of money laundering, possession of prohibited substances and conspiracy to defraud the US Treasury from March 2015 to March 2016.
The investigation, which started due to cocaine-trafficking offenses from Costa Rica, allowed to discover that the marriage carried out a millionaire fraud to the detriment of the elderly.
Castang and Altidor allegedly received checks over $ 300,000 from more than 2 dozen victims from 17 states across the country, including a resident from Manhattan and Connecticut.
Apparently, the money was sent to bank accounts in Costa Rica to be laundered.
Drug shipment from Costa Rica
The investigation showed that Castang received packages with cocaine from Costa Rican territory and they were later distributed in different parts of New York.
Despite being arrested on March 8th, the suspect was released on bail in September last year. He was detained for carrying 1 kilogram of cocaine with a bag that said ‘Costa Rica’.
A 25-year-old lady is also under investigation.