By: Omar Silva

Belize City, Tuesday 11th April 2023

Former attorney and businessman Andris Pukke has been indicted in the United States for his alleged involvement in a multimillion-dollar real estate fraud scheme. Pukke, along with his co-defendants, is accused of engaging in a conspiracy to defraud investors by making false and misleading statements about the development of Sanctuary Bay in Belize. The indictment alleges that Pukke and his co-defendants used investor funds to pay for personal expenses and to perpetuate the fraud. If convicted, they could face significant prison sentences and financial penalties.

Pukke was the founder and former CEO of a company called Sanctuary Belize, which marketed and sold real estate in a luxury resort development in Belize called Sanctuary Bay. The development was marketed as a tropical paradise, but investors were duped into buying lots with false promises of luxury amenities. Instead of investing in the development, Pukke allegedly made off with millions of dollars, leaving lot buyers with nothing but land they cannot access or use.

The indictment against Pukke and his co-defendants includes charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. This is the largest real estate fraud that the Federal Trade Commission has uncovered in its history, resulting in a number of civil suits against Sanctuary Bay.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams stated that "this office will continue to aggressively pursue consumer fraud to ensure that businesses deliver on their promises to their customers." The wire fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison, and the unlawful monetary transactions charge carries a maximum sentence of ten years in prison. Pukke was arrested in Los Angeles and presented before the Central District of California. This case is ongoing, and updates will be provided as they become available.