The alleged mastermind behind the biggest real estate scam in Spain has been admitted to a Madrid jail and will stay there until a court authorises his transfer to Palma.
Carlos García Roldán, who’s also known as ‘Charly’, fled to his girlfriend's grandmother's house, in Buga, Colombia in April 2018 amid allegations of fraud over the sale of houses that didn’t exist.
His company, Promociones Lujo Casa, or Luxury House Promotions, allegedly scammed more than 200 people out of between 4 million and 7 million euros.
Police believe he squandered a good chunk of the money in a casino in Majorca, where he was nicknamed Donald Trump because of he looked like the US President.
Whilst in Colombia he changed his appearance, lost weight and allegedly had cosmetic surgery in a bid to avoid being recognised. He was arrested last February after a joint operation between the Colombian Police and the Guardia Civil and has now been extradited to Spain to stand trial.
Carlos García Roldán is facing a raft of charges, including aggravated fraud, document forgery, money laundering and membership of a criminal organisation.