Police foiled a major extortion attempt with a sting operation.
23 year-old Edwin Flores, allegedly tried to blackmail a businessman and extort him of $8,000, and tonight, he and his girlfriend are at the Belize Central prison for it.
The complainant, Wilbert Valencia, a business man from Orange Walk Town, reported to police that on Tuesday, Flores contacted him and demanded that he hand over $8,000 dollars or else, a member of his family would be killed.
In view of what happened in Orange Walk recently with Ramon Cervantes Sr, you can guess how this would cause quite a scare.
Valencia told police of the extortion attempt, and the cops set up a sting operation where police waited at the Lord Ridge Cemetery. That's the location that Valencia's blackmailer demanded that he deliver the money.
A 15 year-old girl went to the location to pick up the cash, police followed her to the King's Park area, and when she delivered the package to Flowers, police moved in and detained both of them. Flores was charged with blackmail, while the minor was charged with abetment to blackmail.
They were both arraigned before Senior Magistrate Sharon Frazer, and due to the objections of the police prosecutor, they were denied bail. Flores was remanded to the Belize Central Prison. His girlfriend is a Guatemalan with no immigration status here, and so she was remanded to the Youth Hostel. She also ordered that that police take Flores to the Hospital because he claimed in court that police beat him while he was in custody. They will be taken back to court on September 16.
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