Dominican Republic Court Upholds Asset Freeze in the Jet Set Case
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC · JUSTICE
Key Facts
- —What happened An appeal court in Santo Domingo upheld the freeze on assets belonging to Antonio and Maribel Espaillat.
- —How big it is The measures cover RD$500 million, about US$8.5 million at the central bank rate for September 3.
- —The real story The court said the freeze is precautionary and provisional, so it stands until the trial decides liability.
- —The catch The freeze is not a finding of guilt, and the criminal trial is running separately and is not finished.
- —Who it affects The two owners face charges over the roof collapse that the court records put at 236 deaths.
- —What comes next The trial resumed on September 4 in Ciudad Nueva to hear witnesses and expert evidence.
An appeal court in Santo Domingo has refused to release the frozen assets of the two owners of the Jet Set nightclub. Their trial is already under way.
A court in Santo Domingo has told the owners of the Jet Set nightclub that their assets stay frozen. The ruling keeps the money out of reach while the Jet Set case is tried.
The First Criminal Chamber of the National District Court of Appeal issued the decision on September 3, 2026. El Nuevo Diario and Infobae reported it over the following day.
The appeal had been brought by Antonio and Maribel Espaillat. They are the siblings who owned and ran the venue.
The court rejected it. Three separate measures remain in force.
What Exactly Was Frozen
Dominican law allows several kinds of asset restraint, and this ruling covers three at once. Together they are valued at RD$500 million, or about US$8.5 million.
The conversion uses the Banco Central de la República Dominicana buying rate. That was 58.6455 pesos to the US dollar on September 3, 2026.
The first measure is an embargo conservatorio, a preservation seizure. It stops assets being sold or moved.
The second is an embargo retentivo, a garnishment. It reaches money held by third parties, such as banks.
The third is a provisional judicial mortgage. It registers a claim against property so it cannot be cleanly transferred.
The court’s reasoning was short and technical. These measures, it said, are precautionary, instrumental and provisional in nature.
Who Decided It
The panel was presided over by judge Doris Josefina Pujols Ortiz. Daisy Indhira Montás Pimentel sat with her.
A third judge, Rafael Báez García, took part in the deliberation but did not sign. He was on leave.
The measures apply to the two defendants and to third parties with civil liability. That wording matters, because it extends the freeze beyond the siblings personally.
What the Jet Set Case Is
On April 8, 2025 the roof of the Jet Set nightclub collapsed during a concert in Santo Domingo. It was one of the worst peacetime disasters in Dominican history.
Early official counts moved as bodies were recovered. Reuters reported 231 deaths in mid-April 2025, and CNN reported at least 232.
The figure now used by the courts is higher. The order sending the case to trial refers to the involuntary killing of 236 people.
Injury counts vary widely between outlets and should be treated with caution. Reported figures range from around 80 to more than 180.
There is no single consolidated final communiqué from prosecutors fixing any of these numbers. The 236 figure is best described as the one the court itself charged.
How the Criminal Trial Got Here
On June 15, 2026 judge Raymundo Mejía ordered the two owners to stand trial. The charge is involuntary homicide under articles 319 and 320 of the penal code.
The same order discharged the state bodies that had been named. The city council and the public works ministry were released, with any liability sent to the administrative courts.
The file then moved between courtrooms. It went to the Second Criminal Chamber in late June, and that judge withdrew from it on July 6.
A trial date was fixed at the end of July. The hearing of the merits finally opened on August 28, 2026.
It is being heard by judge Franny González of the Fourth Criminal Chamber of the National District. The court then adjourned to September 4.
That session was set for nine in the morning at the Ciudad Nueva courthouse. Witnesses and expert evidence were on the agenda.
Why the Asset Ruling Matters Separately
A criminal trial decides guilt. A civil claim decides who pays, and that is what the frozen assets are about.
Families of the dead and the injured have claims that will outlast the criminal verdict. If assets disappear before those claims are heard, a judgment is worth little.
This is why courts grant precautionary seizures early and defend them on appeal. The appeal court said as much in its reasoning.
It is equally important to be precise about what the ruling is not. Freezing assets is not a finding that anyone is guilty of anything.
What Foreign Residents and Investors Should Take From It
The Dominican Republic is a major destination for tourism and property investment. How its courts handle a disaster of this scale is a signal about institutional capacity.
Two features of the Jet Set case stand out so far. It reached trial in under seventeen months, which is fast by regional standards.
And the state entities named early were removed from the criminal track. Whether that stands up in the administrative courts is a separate question, still open.
For anyone following the money, the next milestone is not the asset freeze. It is the verdict, and then the civil claims that follow it.
What to Watch
The first thing is how long the evidence phase runs. Complex trials with many victims can stretch across months of intermittent sessions.
The second is whether any further appeal is filed against the asset ruling. The defence has already tried once and lost.
The third is the administrative track. That is where the question of state responsibility for building inspection now sits.
Until those move, the position is stable. The assets stay frozen, and the Jet Set case is being heard.
More: Dominican Republic news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the appeal court decide?
The First Criminal Chamber of the National District Court of Appeal upheld three asset measures against Antonio and Maribel Espaillat, together worth RD$500 million (about US$8.5 million).
Does the asset freeze mean they have been found guilty?
No. The court described the measures as precautionary, instrumental and provisional. Guilt is decided in the separate criminal trial, which is still being heard.
How many people died in the Jet Set collapse?
The order sending the case to trial refers to 236 deaths. Interim counts in April 2025 were 231 and 232. Injury figures vary between outlets and remain unsettled.
What are the owners charged with?
Involuntary homicide under articles 319 and 320 of the Dominican penal code. Judge Raymundo Mejía ordered them to stand trial on June 15, 2026.
Where does the trial stand?
It opened on August 28, 2026 before judge Franny González of the Fourth Criminal Chamber, and resumed on September 4 at the Ciudad Nueva courthouse to hear witnesses and experts.
Sources: El Nuevo Diario, Infobae República Dominicana, Listín Diario, Diario Libre, Acento, N Digital, Banco Central de la República Dominicana, Dirección General de Impuestos Internos, Reuters, CNN en Español, Rio Times.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error
Read More from The Rio Times