A Los Angeles court has convicted a 32-year-old Swedish national who operated a company leveraging the brand of notorious drug trafficker Pablo Escobar. The individual, identified as Olof Kirose Gustafsson, known by the alias “El Silencio,” was sentenced to four years in prison. Gustafsson’s enterprise, named “Escobar Inc” and registered in Puerto Rico, was established in 2015 by him and Roberto Escobar, Pablo Escobar’s former accountant and older brother.
The company claimed ownership of the likeness and estate rights of the deceased Colombian drug lord, known as the “King of Cocaine.” Through this operation, the company marketed items such as “indestructible” gold telephones and flamethrowers. The legal proceedings revealed that the primary activity involved selling goods that were part of a larger scheme of deception. The court determined that the company engaged in significant fraud.
These products, including a purportedly unbreakable gold phone featuring Escobar’s photograph, were sold to customers, often facilitated through the internet. Furthermore, the court ordered Gustafsson to repay $1.3 million to the buyers who had paid for the merchandise. The conviction highlights how illicit operations can utilize modern platforms to deceive the public.
The recovery of funds and assets related to this operation were ultimately found by authorities during the investigation.
Topics: #fraud #internet #found
