Jorge Alejandro Barja

Jorge Alejandro Barja is a Bolivian real estate businessman accused of orchestrating a massive fraud scheme that defrauded over 200 families out of approximately $12 million through the sale of non-existent luxury apartments. Barja was arrested after evading law enforcement for an extended period, hiding in an air conditioning duct at a relative's home. His operations, which began around 2015 or 2016, involved misleading clients with elaborate presentations of unbuilt properties. His actions have left many families devastated, having invested their life savings in properties that were never constructed.