From RD$3 thousand to RD$632 million: how did a son and his mother make it in only two years?

La Vega – How can a mother and her son possibly go from having only RD$3 thousand in their bank account to managing more than RD$630 million and multiple properties in just two years? That is the question surrounding Melvin Castillo Hernández and Angélica Inés Tejada Hernández, who formed the company White Castle Real State SRL in La Vega.

According to the investigations of the Specialized Anti-Money Laundering Prosecutor’s Office and the La Vega Prosecutor’s Office, the company was far from a prosperous business. It was a front with no real operation. According to authorities, the huge sums of money amassed by White Castle Real Estate come from illicit activities, including merchandise trafficking, tax fraud, and money laundering.

Melvin Castillo Hernández is pointed out as the main person responsible for these fraudulent operations, using his mother as a frontman. Neither of them has been able to justify the lawful origin of the accumulated funds.

The Prosecutor’s Office has carried out several raids and seizures, including a three-story house where illicit goods were found, as well as a “drink-colmado” type establishment and other properties valued at about RD$25 million. Castillo Hernández was arrested on January 20, 2024, after being linked to the storage of illegal goods in the sector of the Olympic Stadium of La Vega.

In the raids, the authorities confiscated illegal products such as 112 new air conditioners, hundreds of alcoholic beverages of different brands, more than RD$10 million in cash, a firearm, and various pieces of jewelry of high value.

The financial investigation reveals that Melvin Castillo Hernández went from having just RD$3 thousand in his bank account in 2022 to transactions that exceed RD$585 million between 2022 and 2024, adding to a total of RD$632,545,766 when considering other additional deposits of RD$46,958,927.

The defendants face charges of violating Laws 155-17 on Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism, 17-19 on Illicit Trafficking of Goods, 168-21 on Smuggling, 11-92 on the Tax Regime, and 183-02 on Monetary and Financial Law of the Dominican Republic.