The Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) has secured significant convictions against Yuri Garcia Dominguez and his wife, Ateeka Ishmael, for operating an illegal Ponzi scheme that defrauded hundreds of Guyanese citizens of hundreds of millions of dollars. On Thursday, June 11, 2026, Magistrate Sunil Scarce handed down sentences at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court following an extensive investigation by SOCU.
For the offence of operating a Ponzi scheme, both Yuri Garcia Dominguez and Ateeka Ishmael were fined G$1,000,000 each and sentenced to one year of imprisonment. Regarding the additional charge of carrying on a business without registering with the Guyana Securities Council, Dominguez was fined G$100,000 and sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment. His wife, Ateeka Ishmael, was also fined G$100,000 for the same charge, with a default sentence of six months of imprisonment.
The charges stemmed from activities occurring between May 18, 2020, and October 16, 2020, at Coldingen, East Coast Demerara. The couple allegedly lured investors into a fraudulent scheme, leading to hundreds of complaints from citizens who lost significant sums of money. This conviction concludes a complex, months-long investigation by SOCU. The defendants, who have faced at least 150 charges collectively, were represented by attorney Eden Corbin, while the state was represented by a prosecution team including Attorney-at-Law Darin Chan, DSP Neville Jeffers, and Sergeant Aaron Daniels.
SOCU Head, Deputy Commissioner Fazil Karimbaksh, emphasized that these convictions represent a major milestone in enforcing Guyana’s financial crime laws. He reiterated the unit’s ongoing commitment to prosecuting financial crimes, money laundering, and illicit investment schemes to protect the Guyanese public and maintain the integrity of the nation’s financial framework.
