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Mayor accused of faking her kidnapping in embezzlement scheme
Yahoo • • general
Key Points:
- Nancy Napoles, mayor of Tenancingo, Mexico, is accused of faking her own kidnapping to embezzle $2 million in government funds disguised as ransom, according to local prosecutors.
- Napoles, a member of the ruling Morena party, denies the allegations, calling them politically motivated, and has posted a video proclaiming her innocence.
- Authorities say armed men forced Napoles into a car at gunpoint and demanded a ransom of 40 million pesos ($2.3 million), which was allegedly to be taken from local government resources if unpaid.
- The plot was reportedly uncovered when a witness alerted police, leading to a search that forced Napoles to abandon the staged kidnapping; her husband and brother-in-law, believed to have orchestrated the scheme, are currently fugitives.
- The case adds to recent corruption and criminal allegations against Mexican officials, including U.S. charges against the governor of Sinaloa and other officials for drug trafficking and weapons offenses.
