During an interview in Channel’s 7’ Telenoticias, Emilia Navas, Ad interim district attorney, confirmed that the Public Ministry has had an open investigation since 2015 regarding U.S. businessmen David Patey and Michael Lawrence Brannon Hutson also known as “Scott Brannon”.

Patey a native of Utah, is well known in Costa Rica, as the president of one of the biggest soccer teams in the country, the Heredia team (Club Sport Herediano); he is also the owner of Ponderosa Adventure Park among other businesses. He has lived in Costa Rica since 2003.

Michael Lawrence Brannon Hutson came to Costa Rica in 2004, he was born in Orange County, California, he is known as a real estate investor and to be involved with sportsbooks in Costa Rica. He has a friendship with Patey and is frequently seen at the stadium when Heredia plays.

Both men are being investigated for drug trafficking and money laundering. The process has included the investigation of their investments, assets acquisition and financial movements. “The crimes Hutson and Patey are being investigated for, include money laundering and drug trafficking. There are other people that are also part of this investigation. The purchase of gas stations acquired in the Zona Norte (North Zone of Costa Rica) are also being investigated; this is a complex case; these type of crimes, due to the type of proof we need to search for are generally slow”, commented Navas.

In an interview with national daily La Nacion back in June 17, 2017, Patey stated “I was investigated by the SUGEF (General Superintendent of Financial Institutions), the Social Security Service (CCSS), for money laundering, for drug trafficking. It was said that I was the leader of a cartel and that I had officers from the Judicial Investigative Organism (OIJ) and the Operational Support Group of the Public Force (GAO) on my payroll. For four months my phones were tapped, and vehicles of OIJ were following my every step. With this face, they’d say this gringo was the chief of the Sinaloa cartel. These things are really tiresome, really. I am not involved in anything bad, and it’s been hard to build my reputation, which can be destroyed in five minutes if they choose to search my house and take me out handcuffed, then in time, it is demonstrated that I am innocent, but the damage is already done”.

Patey was called in November 2017 by the Cementazo (Corruption Scandel) Investigative Commission to make his statement regarding his relationship with Juan Carlos Bolaños. Patey explained that he is a moneylender and that Bolaños had come to him asking for a loan of $150,000.00 for supreme court judge Celso Gamboa. The loan never materialized. It also came to light that Patey had paid $1.4 million to Banco de Costa Rica in favor of Sinocem Costa Rica (Juan Carlos Bolaños’ company); Patey explained that he had made this payment as part of a commercial business relation that he had at the time with the cement company.

Because this is an ongoing investigation Navas didn’t want to go into further details, she only affirmed this is a very complex case, since throughout the years more people have been included as part of the investigation.