The investigation into the suspected kidnapping and murder of online gambling operator 5Dimes’ boss has resulted in the arrest of 12 individuals based in two different countries.
On Friday, Costa Rican media outlet La Nacion reported that authorities in Costa Rica and Spain had raided 11 different sites in an attempt to determine the whereabouts of William Sean ‘Tony’ Creighton, the founder of online sportsbook 5Dimes who disappeared in Costa Rica on September 24.
The report claimed that there were 10 Costa Rican locations raided by Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ) agents, resulting in the detention of nine individuals. Spain’s Civil Guard reportedly detained three individuals following a raid on a resident in Zaragoza in the autonomous community of Aragon. All of the suspects in custody are Costa Rican nationals.
OIJ director Walter Espinoza said the locations of the raids were identified by police cybersleuths who tracked the path of the US$750k-$1m in Bitcoins that Creighton’s Costa Rican wife reportedly transferred following ransom demands she received shortly after her husband’s disappearance.
Creighton disappeared after leaving the 5Dimes office in San Jose on the night of the 24th. Creighton never made it home that night, and his luxury vehicle was later found crashed into a gate of a rural property.
One month later, the Costa Rica Star reported that police had found Creighton’s body, but the OIJ never confirmed this report. Espinoza said the aim of the investigation was to uncover details “that allow us to identify the fate or whereabouts” of Creighton.
Espinoza said the alleged mastermind of the kidnapping was among those detained in Spain on Friday. Espinoza said the OIJ’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit and the Civil Guard had placed the Spain-based suspects under surveillance a month ago.
5Dimes has continued to operate in their founder’s absence and the company issued a statement to its customers saying “the fundamentals of 5Dimes Group operating model remain unchanged.”
