HAZLETON -- “Woo Hoo!” That was Anna Arias’ reaction when she learned her former friend Ignacio Beato was behind bars.
Beato was arrested in Florida, accused of forgery, theft, and theft by deception in Hazleton.
Investigators said when he was caught, Beato was returning to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic.
"He got me. He really got me because I thought he was someone you could trust and that he was a decent person, an honest person, and I rarely, rarely get taken like that,“ said Arias, a leader of the Latino community in Hazleton.
Beato, who was once a Latino leader in Hazleton himself, is accused of duping dozens of people, most of them fellow Dominicans, in a real estate scam.
The local realtor association suspects Beato has about 50 victims and has pocketed more than $1 million.
"I'm very happy that he was arrested. That's something that is disrespectful to the Latino community. It doesn't just hurt our Latino community, it also hurts our real estate agents as a whole. That's something that you don't do to anybody,” said Vilmarie Budde of Hazleton. "We were almost where I felt that we were already bridging the gap, which is something we were all working for and hoping for. Now we're back to step 1 again and now we have to start over and show the people that not everyone is the same, that in every race there's good and bad.”
These women say they will continue to work to help members of their community.
As for Beato, who they once thought cared for them:
“He deserves to be in prison. And I'm so sorry, Ignacio. If one day you see this, but this is me and you know me, how I am. I do not condone dishonesty and theft. I do not,” said Arias.
Edward Olexa, is an attorney representing about 20 people who say Beato scammed them out of money. Olexa told Newswatch 16, “My clients are elated that he's been apprehended. We heard a number of rumors about different locations around the world where he may be hiding."
There is no word when Beato may be brought back to the Hazleton area.
