<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" > <channel><title>Comments on: Lawyer convicted of scamming seven US investors out of $626k gets 10 years</title> <atom:link href="https://www.insidecostarica.com/2015/07/09/lawyer-convicted-scamming-seven-us-investors-626k-gets-10-years/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /><link>https://www.insidecostarica.com/2015/07/09/lawyer-convicted-scamming-seven-us-investors-626k-gets-10-years/</link> <description>Costa Rica&#039;s Leading English Language News Source</description> <lastBuildDate>Tue, 28 Oct 2025 04:55:00 +0000</lastBuildDate> <sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency> <generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=3.6.2</generator> <item><title>By: Arcelio Hernandez</title><link>https://www.insidecostarica.com/2015/07/09/lawyer-convicted-scamming-seven-us-investors-626k-gets-10-years/#comment-14296</link> <dc:creator>Arcelio Hernandez</dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 17 Feb 2016 18:05:00 +0000</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://insidecostarica.com/?p=18257#comment-14296</guid> <description><![CDATA[It is better to wait for a sentence to be final, before jumping to conclusions or making crazy speculations. In fact, the conviction was completely nullified by the appeals court.]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It is better to wait for a sentence to be final, before jumping to conclusions or making crazy speculations. In fact, the conviction was completely nullified by the appeals court.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item><title>By: Sheldon Haseltine</title><link>https://www.insidecostarica.com/2015/07/09/lawyer-convicted-scamming-seven-us-investors-626k-gets-10-years/#comment-11477</link> <dc:creator>Sheldon Haseltine</dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 10 Jul 2015 19:57:00 +0000</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://insidecostarica.com/?p=18257#comment-11477</guid> <description><![CDATA[Hero? No I am just defending what is ours (and paid for) and have been criminally sued for doing so. In addition to armed aggression and for criminal fraud. The real purpose was to block the real issue - that of the land which we still do not have a hearing set since the postponement in June, 2014. We came up with the idea of the video as there was a local news blackout - our squatters&#039; family own La Nacion and walk in prominent and connected circles so we have the owners of the largest realty and Title company involved in land scams. Their crime here sympathetic locals tell me is not that they are scamming but being caught In the act. The principal of Van Der Laat Jimenez, the largest construction Company in CR, Ricardo Jimenez Monealegre a co-plaintiff volunteered in court that he didn&#039;t understand what all the fuss was about as he had acquired many such properties in the area in such a manner (using squatters)  For the record we have several other properties in the area also squatted on so it is not too hard to assume who is responsible. Regarding the video,  it distributed itself by word of mouth. The Spanish version (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkLceCSRodI) has more than 17,000 hits whereas the English version (http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-767144) a mere 1,500. It was also picked up by a Miami news station. Now these &quot;gentlemen&quot; are loudly whining about their honor and dignity. To be fair I have had much more support from Ticos than Gingos who as often as not tell me I am rocking the boat.  Go figure.........for more on the story just google me. Thank you for asking.]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hero? No I am just defending what is ours (and paid for) and have been criminally sued for doing so. In addition to armed aggression and for criminal fraud. The real purpose was to block the real issue &#8211; that of the land which we still do not have a hearing set since the postponement in June, 2014. We came up with the idea of the video as there was a local news blackout &#8211; our squatters&#8217; family own La Nacion and walk in prominent and connected circles so we have the owners of the largest realty and Title company involved in land scams. Their crime here sympathetic locals tell me is not that they are scamming but being caught In the act. The principal of Van Der Laat Jimenez, the largest construction Company in CR, Ricardo Jimenez Monealegre a co-plaintiff volunteered in court that he didn&#8217;t understand what all the fuss was about as he had acquired many such properties in the area in such a manner (using squatters)  For the record we have several other properties in the area also squatted on so it is not too hard to assume who is responsible. Regarding the video,  it distributed itself by word of mouth. The Spanish version (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkLceCSRodI" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkLceCSRodI</a>) has more than 17,000 hits whereas the English version (<a href="http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-767144" rel="nofollow">http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-767144</a>) a mere 1,500. It was also picked up by a Miami news station.<br /> Now these &#8220;gentlemen&#8221; are loudly whining about their honor and dignity. To be fair I have had much more support from Ticos than Gingos who as often as not tell me I am rocking the boat.  Go figure&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;for more on the story just google me. Thank you for asking.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item><title>By: duke ster</title><link>https://www.insidecostarica.com/2015/07/09/lawyer-convicted-scamming-seven-us-investors-626k-gets-10-years/#comment-11476</link> <dc:creator>duke ster</dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 10 Jul 2015 19:16:00 +0000</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://insidecostarica.com/?p=18257#comment-11476</guid> <description><![CDATA[Sheldon, can you tell us more about your fascinating story? You must be a hero for doing such a video. How did you get the idea? Financing? Distribution etc? That is incredible information that Costa Rica is listed as wholesale scumbags,down on the list along with scalawags such as Iran, Senegal and Haiti. Why oh why didn&#039;t I and so many others have this information about what lies in wait in Costa Rica when we all came down here with pockets full of money and wide-eyed dreams of the good life? So many scammers out there like that Fat Dutch Go Realty guy who lured so many to Atenas to buy homes built on top of the old filled in town dump.]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Sheldon, can you tell us more about your fascinating story? You must be a hero for doing such a video. How did you get the idea? Financing? Distribution etc? That is incredible information that Costa Rica is listed as wholesale scumbags,down on the list along with scalawags such as Iran, Senegal and Haiti. Why oh why didn&#8217;t I and so many others have this information about what lies in wait in Costa Rica when we all came down here with pockets full of money and wide-eyed dreams of the good life? So many scammers out there like that Fat Dutch Go Realty guy who lured so many to Atenas to buy homes built on top of the old filled in town dump.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item><title>By: Sheldon Haseltine</title><link>https://www.insidecostarica.com/2015/07/09/lawyer-convicted-scamming-seven-us-investors-626k-gets-10-years/#comment-11475</link> <dc:creator>Sheldon Haseltine</dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 10 Jul 2015 15:06:00 +0000</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://insidecostarica.com/?p=18257#comment-11475</guid> <description><![CDATA[http://www.elfinancierocr.com/etiqueta/armando_gonzalez_fonseca/]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.elfinancierocr.com/etiqueta/armando_gonzalez_fonseca/" rel="nofollow">http://www.elfinancierocr.com/etiqueta/armando_gonzalez_fonseca/</a></p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item><title>By: Sheldon Haseltine</title><link>https://www.insidecostarica.com/2015/07/09/lawyer-convicted-scamming-seven-us-investors-626k-gets-10-years/#comment-11474</link> <dc:creator>Sheldon Haseltine</dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 10 Jul 2015 14:51:00 +0000</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://insidecostarica.com/?p=18257#comment-11474</guid> <description><![CDATA[No he won&#039;t. The maximum the Colegeo can do is to suspend him for ten years.]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>No he won&#8217;t. The maximum the Colegeo can do is to suspend him for ten years.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item><title>By: Sheldon Haseltine</title><link>https://www.insidecostarica.com/2015/07/09/lawyer-convicted-scamming-seven-us-investors-626k-gets-10-years/#comment-11473</link> <dc:creator>Sheldon Haseltine</dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 10 Jul 2015 14:48:00 +0000</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://insidecostarica.com/?p=18257#comment-11473</guid> <description><![CDATA[The question is: Will he actually ever do time? Let us hope this is not just a sop or placebo to the international community which is now bitching loudly about pervasive Land fraud in the country. Is there a real will to clean up this dark shadow on CR&#039;s investment climate? For my part I doubt it for the forces behind this trade are too well connected to give up this easy source of black income which is then spread around in the usual way. Forbes Magazine comments; &quot;As far as protecting investors, the World Bank ranks Costa Rica near the bottom–number 164 out of 181 economies–alongside Iran, Senegal and Haiti.&quot;  By the way all is not doom and gloom as Armando Gonzalez Fonseca (family owns Century 21, Stewart Title etc) had to pay us $28,000 for falsely accusing us of fraud.]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The question is: Will he actually ever do time? Let us hope this is not just a sop or placebo to the international community which is now bitching loudly about pervasive Land fraud in the country. Is there a real will to clean up this dark shadow on CR&#8217;s investment climate? For my part I doubt it for the forces behind this trade are too well connected to give up this easy source of black income which is then spread around in the usual way. Forbes Magazine comments; &#8220;As far as protecting investors, the World Bank ranks Costa Rica near the bottom–number 164 out of 181 economies–alongside Iran, Senegal and Haiti.&#8221;  By the way all is not doom and gloom as Armando Gonzalez Fonseca (family owns Century 21, Stewart Title etc) had to pay us $28,000 for falsely accusing us of fraud.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item><title>By: Chris Thomas</title><link>https://www.insidecostarica.com/2015/07/09/lawyer-convicted-scamming-seven-us-investors-626k-gets-10-years/#comment-11472</link> <dc:creator>Chris Thomas</dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 10 Jul 2015 09:06:00 +0000</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://insidecostarica.com/?p=18257#comment-11472</guid> <description><![CDATA[Kill one corrupt politician a month and this crap might stop]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Kill one corrupt politician a month and this crap might stop</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item><title>By: Chris Thomas</title><link>https://www.insidecostarica.com/2015/07/09/lawyer-convicted-scamming-seven-us-investors-626k-gets-10-years/#comment-11471</link> <dc:creator>Chris Thomas</dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 10 Jul 2015 08:55:00 +0000</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://insidecostarica.com/?p=18257#comment-11471</guid> <description><![CDATA[Ok this whole justice thing is mirage, the cops, top legal officials and politicians will get the money, the only way to get justice in this case is for them to hire a hit man torture man for a few days until he gives up the money then dispose of him like garbage in the ocean, that is reality in Costa Rica folks.]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Ok this whole justice thing is mirage, the cops, top legal officials and politicians will get the money, the only way to get justice in this case is for them to hire a hit man torture man for a few days until he gives up the money then dispose of him like garbage in the ocean, that is reality in Costa Rica folks.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item><title>By: duke ster</title><link>https://www.insidecostarica.com/2015/07/09/lawyer-convicted-scamming-seven-us-investors-626k-gets-10-years/#comment-11470</link> <dc:creator>duke ster</dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 09 Jul 2015 23:33:00 +0000</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://insidecostarica.com/?p=18257#comment-11470</guid> <description><![CDATA[I was out and about searching for a sign making shop when I found one on a main road in a nice area. As I waited for the signs to be made I asked about the fine gated and high walled home across the road. I was informed that it was owned by an old Gringo but that he died somehow and now the former milkman owned it and lived there. Seems the old wealthy Gringo was known as a loner with no family. So I half jokingly asked the sign maker/neighbor which part of the backyard he thought the old Gringo was buried in. I mean the story goes that the old Gringo wanted to return to the U.S.A. and so he GAVE the beautiful mansion with the expansive grounds to the local milkman? C&#039;mon ----wake up! Who gives away his expensive, high dollar beautiful home? And to the milkman? This milkman was probably the only person to gain any confidence to the old Gringo and who alone was allowed inside the compound. Where Are the investigations in this country? I&#039;ll bet if a few heavy guys went up to the door ( difficult because of the high walls) and got heavy with the new owner--the &quot;milkman&quot;, they might get some of the cut of the old Gringo&#039;s wealth. If the milkman thought he was going to be investigated, the &quot;heavy investigators&quot; could keep a stealthy stakeout/ night vision watch -on the grounds and surprise the milkman when he was mid way through the digging up of the old, formerly rich, Gringo in order to get rid of the evidence. The heavy investigators just might become the new owners--what do you think?  What would be needed would be some ex military contractor &quot;spooks&quot; who know how to operate like this. Actually it would be a fairly straight forward operation and a whole heck of alot easier than what some of you guys have been through on operations which yielded a whole lot less.  Perhaps there is a great suspense/crime story in the making here. At the very least.]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I was out and about searching for a sign making shop when I found one on a main road in a nice area. As I waited for the signs to be made I asked about the fine gated and high walled home across the road. I was informed that it was owned by an old Gringo but that he died somehow and now the former milkman owned it and lived there. Seems the old wealthy Gringo was known as a loner with no family. So I half jokingly asked the sign maker/neighbor which part of the backyard he thought the old Gringo was buried in. I mean the story goes that the old Gringo wanted to return to the U.S.A. and so he GAVE the beautiful mansion with the expansive grounds to the local milkman? C&#8217;mon &#8212;-wake up! Who gives away his expensive, high dollar beautiful home? And to the milkman? This milkman was probably the only person to gain any confidence to the old Gringo and who alone was allowed inside the compound. Where Are the investigations in this country? I&#8217;ll bet if a few heavy guys went up to the door ( difficult because of the high walls) and got heavy with the new owner&#8211;the &#8220;milkman&#8221;, they might get some of the cut of the old Gringo&#8217;s wealth. If the milkman thought he was going to be investigated, the &#8220;heavy investigators&#8221; could keep a stealthy stakeout/ night vision watch -on the grounds and surprise the milkman when he was mid way through the digging up of the old, formerly rich, Gringo in order to get rid of the evidence. The heavy investigators just might become the new owners&#8211;what do you think?  What would be needed would be some ex military contractor &#8220;spooks&#8221; who know how to operate like this. Actually it would be a fairly straight forward operation and a whole heck of alot easier than what some of you guys have been through on operations which yielded a whole lot less.  Perhaps there is a great suspense/crime story in the making here. At the very least.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item><title>By: duke ster</title><link>https://www.insidecostarica.com/2015/07/09/lawyer-convicted-scamming-seven-us-investors-626k-gets-10-years/#comment-11469</link> <dc:creator>duke ster</dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 09 Jul 2015 23:10:00 +0000</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://insidecostarica.com/?p=18257#comment-11469</guid> <description><![CDATA[The $6000 dollars he received for his lawsuit is most certainly in his pocket, safe and sound. Let&#039;s see if these investors receive even a penny. Just like the pounds and POUNDS  of precious stones the police confiscated from the home of the Gringo Billionaire whose wife was convicted of his murder over on the west coast down near the Whale Tail. Remember that case? Man those Costa Rican cops really won big time. Talk is that they engineered the whole murder/ theft to begin with. Maybe the wife was set up? I mean she stood to collect 1/2 of the husband&#039;s fortune in a simple divorce, according to Costa Rican laws. Why would she take the chance on getting caught killing him when she stood in line for half in a simple divorce-and we all know how CR is heavily in favor of the woman winning it all. You can&#039;t even yell at the old lady in this country or you stand the chance of your naked butt being thrown out on the street within an hour. I mean she could have called the cops and said &quot;my husband just yelled at me&quot; and she would have had possession of the home within the hour and had all the time she needed to go buy a big shovel and wheel barrow and sun glasses ( to protect against the brilliance) to load up all the Diamonds. They ( cops)had to resort to WEIGHING diamonds and Rubies and all manner of precious stones. CAN YOU IMAGINE having to WEIGH diamonds because they were so plentiful????? 100% the cops did the crime---100%--- try to investigate this one and see how long you live.]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The $6000 dollars he received for his lawsuit is most certainly in his pocket, safe and sound. Let&#8217;s see if these investors receive even a penny. Just like the pounds and POUNDS  of precious stones the police confiscated from the home of the Gringo Billionaire whose wife was convicted of his murder over on the west coast down near the Whale Tail. Remember that case? Man those Costa Rican cops really won big time. Talk is that they engineered the whole murder/ theft to begin with. Maybe the wife was set up? I mean she stood to collect 1/2 of the husband&#8217;s fortune in a simple divorce, according to Costa Rican laws. Why would she take the chance on getting caught killing him when she stood in line for half in a simple divorce-and we all know how CR is heavily in favor of the woman winning it all. You can&#8217;t even yell at the old lady in this country or you stand the chance of your naked butt being thrown out on the street within an hour. I mean she could have called the cops and said<br /> &#8220;my husband just yelled at me&#8221; and she would have had possession of the home within the hour and had all the time she needed to go buy a big shovel and wheel barrow and sun glasses ( to protect against the brilliance) to load up all the Diamonds. They ( cops)had to resort to WEIGHING diamonds and Rubies and all manner of precious stones. CAN YOU IMAGINE having to WEIGH diamonds because they were so plentiful????? 100% the cops did the crime&#8212;100%&#8212; try to investigate this one and see how long you live.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> </channel> </rss>