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Santiago del Estero Accountant Held in Alleged 136 Million-Peso Luxury-Car Fraud

Prosecutors say María Soledad Castelli obtained funds from investor Carlos Rubén Silva using bad checks, plus a bogus Mercedes-Benz transfer form.

Overview

  • Castelli remained in custody after she declined to testify during her indagatoria before prosecutor Celia Mussi.
  • Charging documents cite alleged estafa and threats in concurso real, with Judge Darío Alarcón having authorized raids that seized phones and paperwork.
  • Prosecutors now place the purported loss at 136 million pesos, alleging most guarantee checks were rejected or drawn on accounts with a history of rejections.
  • Investigators plan forensic analysis of about a dozen checks and are examining whether additional people participated in issuing the contested instruments.
  • The defense contends all parties knew the business risks, says the deal collapsed recently, and signals it may identify collaborators and pursue civil avenues.