After 9 months of investigation, led from Neiva, the Gaula Anti-Kidnapping and Anti-Extortion Group in coordination with the Nation’s Attorney General, succeeded in dismantling the organized common crime group, dubbed, “The Legendaries”.
Eleven arrest warrants were issued against 9 women and 02 men in the cities of Neiva, Bogotá, Soacha, Armenia and Ibagué, for the crimes of Conspiracy to Crime for the Purpose of extortion, and aggravated extortion, as follows:
1. Sandra Medina, 46 years old, captured in the city of Neiva.
2. Joana Martinez, 48 years old, captured in the city of Bogotá DC
3. Maria Forero, 47 years old, captured in the city of Bogotá DC
4. Yerli Cachaya, 32 years old, captured in the city of Neiva.
5. Karol Rodriguez, 29 years old, captured in Armenia.
6. Milena Vega, 40, captured in the city of Bogotá DC
7. Diana Baquero, 45 years old, captured in the city of Bogotá DC
8. Herlinda Olarte, 65 years old, captured in Soacha.
9. Rutby Vergara, 38 years old, captured in Ibagué.
10. Cesar Mejia, 20 years old, captured in Ibagué.
11. Diego Sinisterra, 23 years old, captured in Ibagué.
These 9 women and 2 men had family ties to inmates from the La Picota de Bogotá DC and Picaleña de Ibagué prisons, being in charge of recruiting account holders and collecting the money from the extortions that were being carried out from these prisons.
Interception of communications, interrogation of suspects, Link Analysis, tenprint comparisons, selective search in databases, interviews and accounting studies, allowed our GAULA Group investigators to determine their alleged responsibility in the crimes of Conspiracy to Commit an Extortion Purpose, and aggravated extortion.
Likewise, these individuals, based on financial analysis, are presumed to be able to receive over a period of 4 years; a sum greater than 1,000 million pesos, product of this crime; using as a modus operandi the impersonation of authority before merchants and pensioners, who were their main victims.
The captured were left at the disposal of the competent authority, where after analyzing the material evidence, a guarantee control judge decreed a measure of deprivation of liberty for all the accused; 9 in a prison and in the case of Sandra and Yerli, in their place of residence.