A 3rd Dominican Republic ruling party leader faces fraud charges

Santo Domingo.- Relatives of a Dominican-French minor on Wednesday accused La Romana province (east) deputy Teodoro Ursino Reyes of fraud and grand theft, becoming the third senior leader of Dominican Republic’s ruling PLD party mired in scandal.

Ismaurys Reyes filed the charges on behalf of her grandson, through their lawyer Carlos Manuel de la Rosa.

The charges were also filed against Juan Enrique Guílamo Santana, for allegedly taking custody over the child, to steal the minor’s money.

They say the legislator "has abused the trust and stolen from the complainant" several million pesos from an inheritance belonging to the minor.”

They added that the lawmaker and Guilamo embezzled US$500,000 belonging the minor on November 12, 2012, when they posed as the plaintiff’s attorneys without their knowleged.

Ursino Reyes becomes the third PLD senior leader to face fraud charges in the last few weeks, after Joaquin Geronimo and Danilo Diaz were charged in the U.S. over a land scandal at Pueblo Bavaro, Punta Cana.