Monterrey, Nuevo León — A real estate developer from San Pedro Garza García has accumulated 15 fraud complaints in Nuevo León, prompting authorities to label him a “prolific probable offender,” according to the state’s Deputy Attorney General Luis Enrique Orozco.
José Manuel Mireles Verástegui was arrested last Friday by state investigators and initially held at the Apodaca Social Reintegration Center. After a hearing, a judge formally charged him and modified his pretrial detention to house arrest.
The case that triggered the investigation involved a failed investment scheme, according to the Nuevo León Attorney General’s Office. A victim was invited to invest in a luxury development in Tulum by businessman Pedro Miguel Babb Villarreal, a partner of Mireles.
After five years with no construction progress in Tulum, Babb offered to settle the debt by transferring eight apartments in the “Emma y Elissa” tourist project in Playa del Carmen, which was managed by Mireles Verástegui. The victim signed multiple purchase agreements but the Playa del Carmen project was never completed, leading her to file a formal complaint after handing over assets and funds.
“The businessmen offered a real estate project that was never developed, even though the victim delivered assets and resources as part of the transaction,” said Gabriel Garza Fernández, attorney for the plaintiff.
Mireles’ partner, Pedro Miguel Babb Villarreal, has so far avoided detention. He remains free thanks to a definitive suspension granted by a federal judge in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, which freezes the arrest warrant against him while his amparo appeal is resolved.
The judicial process against both businessmen remains open and under investigation.
