E. Martin Estrada, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California
A Swedish national has been extradited to the United States from Spain to face charges related to fraud and money laundering. Olaf Kyros Gustafsson, known as "El Silencio," was arraigned on a 115-count federal indictment in Los Angeles. The charges include conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, counts of wire and mail fraud, conspiracy to engage in money laundering, along with international and domestic money laundering allegations.
Gustafsson, aged 31, was arrested in December 2023. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. A trial is scheduled for May 20, and a detention hearing is set for April 3. Gustafsson remains in federal custody.
Gustafsson served as CEO of Escobar Inc., a company holding rights to Pablo Escobar's persona. The indictment claims Gustafsson marketed products under the Escobar name, including flamethrowers and cellphones, that were never delivered. Customers paid for these products via several payment platforms, but the products did not exist. Instead of delivering goods, Gustafsson mailed promotional materials, fraudulently using these as proof of shipment when customers sought refunds.
The indictment further details that Gustafsson attempted to market the non-existent products by sending samples to technology reviewers disguised as Escobar Inc. products. Payments from fraudulent sales were allegedly funneled through bank accounts in the U.S., Sweden, and the UAE to obscure their origins.
The investigation is a joint effort involving the IRS Criminal Investigation, the FBI, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General, with international cooperation from several agencies. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua O. Mausner is prosecuting the case, emphasizing the presumption of innocence until proven guilty in court.
