Colombian police and immigration authorities have captured alleged international fraudster Loany Lismeiry Ortiz Nova, from the Dominican Republic, as she tried to leave Colombia and cross by land into Venezuela. Ortiz Nova was in Colombia having an aesthetic nose operation, though investigators suspect she was also attempting to avoid arrest. After several weeks of searching, authorities received intelligence that she was attempting to leave Colombia via the Venezuelan border. On February 14, 2025, she was intercepted at the Atanasio Girardot International Bridge (formerly Tienditas Bridge), a key border crossing between Colombia and Venezuela, near Cúcuta, Norte de Santander.
During a routine immigration checkpoint, Colombian migration officials verified her identity and discovered that she was the subject of an Interpol Red Notice. Upon confirmation, Colombian authorities immediately notified the Metropolitan Police of Cúcuta, who took her into custody and transferred her to the Criminal Investigation Section (SIJIN) in that city.
The filing of the Interpol order involved the Dominican Republic’s Public Prosecutor’s Office, the National Police’s Division of Investigation of Money Laundering and Terrorism (DILAT), and the OCN Office of Interpol Santo Domingo. Ortiz Nova is alleged to be the principal leader of a criminal organization implicated in real estate fraud and money laundering, known as the “Guepardo Case,” which was dismantled on February 7, 2025.
The Guepardo Case involves a criminal organization that allegedly used technological tools and social media to attract victims interested in purchasing real estate in the Dominican Republic
The criminal network reportedly promoted real estate projects, attracting buyers from the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, the United States, and Europe. They utilized the branding of RE/MAX, one of the largest international real estate brokerages, to lend credibility to their schemes.
According to the Dominican Procuraduria (Public Prosecutor’s Office), information from the Dominican Republic’s General Directorate of Migration indicated that Ortiz Nova departed for Bogotá, Colombia, on November 13, 2024, during the ongoing investigation. She was expected to return on November 19, 2024, but failed to do so, allegedly to evade legal proceedings. Authorities later determined that she had traveled to Colombia with a stopover in Panama and had no intention of returning.
Claudio Cordero, the Dominican Anti-Money Laundering Public Prosecutor overseeing the case, stated that the Attorney General’s Office will soon provide the necessary documentation to Colombian authorities to initiate Ortiz Nova’s extradition. This process aims to have her face charges related to real estate fraud and money laundering, which have affected numerous victims.
On February 11, 2025, the La Romana Prosecutor’s Office, in collaboration with the Specialized Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Prosecutor’s Office, arrested another suspect, Yves Alexandre Giroux. Giroux had fled during a raid on February 7, 2025, and was later apprehended in an exclusive villa in Cocotal, Punta Cana.
Additionally, suspects Marisol Nova Nolasco and Rocío del Alba Rodríguez de Moya have been detained and brought to justice. On February 18, 2025, the Judicial Office of Permanent Attention Services in La Romana imposed coercive measures on Giroux, Nova Nolasco, and Rodríguez de Moya.
The Guepardo Case involves a criminal organization that allegedly used technological tools and social media to attract victims interested in purchasing real estate in the Dominican Republic. Operating under the facade of a company named Novasco Real Estate S.R.L., they offered property projects at prices significantly below market value, enticing buyers who ultimately fell victim to fraud.
Authorities have identified at least 122 victims of this scheme, including 32 foreign nationals. Investigations suggest that the organization deceived these individuals through fraudulent online promotions, illicitly obtaining substantial sums of money. Ortiz Nova’s arrest underscores the effectiveness of international cooperation and stringent migration controls in combating organized crime. Colombian authorities acted immediately upon verifying her identity and discovering an active Interpol red notice against her. She remains in police custody in Cúcuta, Colombia, awaiting extradition proceedings to the Dominican Republic, where she will face judicial processes.
This case highlights the necessity of robust international collaboration to address transnational fraud and the importance of public awareness regarding the risks associated with online transactions involving unverified real estate entities.
Headline Image: Arrest of Loany Lismeiry Ortiz Nova. Photo credit: Colombia National Police.
