A 48-year-old man was detained by the Polícia Judiciária (PJ) in the Setúbal district for allegedly embezzling more than three million euros through multiple counts of aggravated fraud in real estate deals, however, he has been released under the condition of not contacting witnesses. He is implicated in at least 19 counts of fraud.
The Prosecutor’s Office of the Judicial District of Setúbal stated that the Public Prosecutor’s Office presented the suspect, in his personal capacity and as a legal representative of a sole proprietorship he established, for the first judicial interrogation.
The prosecutor explained that the case involves “acts potentially constituting 19 counts of aggravated fraud and one count of document forgery.”
“It has been strongly indicated that the suspects entered into preliminary sale contracts for properties they knew they could not fulfill, even promising to sell the same properties two or three times,” the documentation states.
The man led victims to believe “they would subsequently finalize the contracts,” prompting them to make “deposits, additional deposits, and advance payments.” In total, he absconded with at least 3,166,700 euros.
Following the first judicial interrogation, the suspect was subject to “the restraint measure of prohibiting contact with any witnesses related to the case or anyone involved in the outlined events,” due to the potential disruption of the investigation.
The investigations continue under the direction of the Department of Investigation and Penal Action (DIAP) of Setúbal, with the assistance of the Polícia Judiciária of Setúbal.
Man plotted to “appropriate monetary values from third parties”
This morning, the PJ reported having “located and detained a 48-year-old man, heavily indicted for committing several counts of aggravated fraud in real estate dealings, achieving an illicit profit, to date, of over three million euros.”
According to the PJ, the suspect devised a plan “to seize monetary values from third parties through real estate investments.”
In 2017, he established a company focused on building real estate developments, “within which several properties were constructed for sale,” in the Palmela municipality.
A 48-year-old man has been detained on suspicion of a scam exceeding 3 million euros. The defendant, who will await trial in preventive detention, is accused of taking money for unfinished houses, as well as selling the same property multiple times.
Natacha Nunes Costa | 09:06 – 20/11/2025
Subsequently, in his “capacity as the company’s legal representative, he utilized, in certain cases, the services of real estate firms and agents, who acted as intermediaries in selling properties before their completion.”
“Preliminary sale contracts were then executed with prospective buyers,” and the suspect received the “corresponding down payment” for the properties, with evidence showing that he received payments for nearly all properties before construction finished.
According to the PJ, “instances were also detected where the same property was sold to several different buyers.”
