Man who scammed over 700 people in El Salvador sentenced to more than 350 years in prison

The Attorney General's Office of the Republic (FGR) of El Salvador confirmed that Edwin Oswaldo Recinos Ortiz received a sentence totaling 360 years in prison for committing aggravated fraud through a fictitious vehicle import company. According to the Prosecutor's Office, Recinos Ortiz deceived dozens of people between 2018 and 2021, promising imported cars at reduced prices and causing economic damage that exceeded $49,300 in just one of the legal proceedings. The Attorney General's Office (FGR) reported on its official X social media account that the Court extended Ortiz's sentence due to new evidence and after an appeal filed by the institution. Initially, in March 2025, the Fourth Sentencing Court of San Salvador had imposed a sentence of just eight years, despite the magnitude of the losses suffered by the victims.

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Subsequently, the First Criminal Chamber reviewed the case and increased the sentence to 298 years in prison in February 2026, considering the scope of the fraud and the number of people affected.

A new sentence of 62 years in prison was added to this sentence, issued after it was proven that Recinos Ortiz defrauded eight victims with an amount exceeding 49,300 dollars. According to the FGR, the defendant must also compensate those affected by paying 350,000 dollars in civil liability. The Public Ministry maintains that the number of victims could exceed 700 people, as Recinos used social media to advertise his fraudulent company and attract those interested in acquiring used vehicles.

The Scam Mechanism: Shell Company and Social Media

According to the investigations cited by the Attorney General's Office, Recinos Ortiz founded in 2018 a company called “Import Ortiz”, apparently dedicated to the import of used cars at prices below market value. The scheme operated until 2021 and took advantage of dissemination on digital platforms to reach a wide audience. The FGR detailed that at least 56 people delivered down payments ranging from 1,500 to 5,000 dollars in the hope of receiving an imported vehicle. "The accused never fulfilled the deals nor returned the money," the institution specified in its official communication. Edwin Recinos Ortiz initially received a sentence of 298 years in prison in February of this year, a figure that recently rose to a total of 360 years for new cases of fraud (Photo courtesy FGR). The pattern consisted of promising vehicles from abroad, collecting advance payments, and disappearing without delivering the cars or refunding the customers. This modality allowed Recinos Ortiz to expand the fraud, even reaching people outside the capital. The Prosecutor's Office warned that the scope of the scam is still under investigation, as there are pending processes related to another 100 victims awaiting trial in the coming months.

The Crime of Fraud in El Salvador

The scam is a crime typified in the Penal Code of El Salvador and punishes anyone who misleads another to obtain an illegitimate economic benefit. The penalty for fraud varies depending on the amount defrauded and the number of victims, but can reach decades in prison if aggravation, recidivism or the existence of multiple affected parties is proven.

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In cases of aggravated fraud, Salvadoran legislation provides for sanctions exceeding 10 years in prison and allows for the accumulation of sentences when the same defendant commits the crime against several people. In addition, judges can order the total or partial restitution of the money stolen and set amounts of civil liability to compensate the victims. The FGR reiterated the call to potential victims to file complaints and provide evidence to expand the investigation. Meanwhile, the judicial process continues, and new defendants are expected to be summoned for related events.