In December 2021, Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia He gained the support of all members of the Executive Committee of the Argentine Football Association (AFA) for the appointment of an unknown company as the company’s sales representative abroad. TourProdEnter LLC was founded just four months earlier in Florida, United States. Appeared in front Erica GillettePartner of the theater producer Javier FaroniTapia’s personal friend. And over the next four years they managed a fortune. THE NATION announced yesterday that this company has accumulated more than $260 million at four banks in the United States. But only part of it was intended to solve the activities of the Viamonte Street company inside and outside Argentina. From the rest, At least $42 million ended up in four Miami-registered companies that have no employeesstill declared commercial activity.
TourProdEnter LLC’s bank income came from three main sources: sponsors of the Argentine national team, television broadcasting rights and income from friendly matches.
These funds were accumulated in four banks: more than $146 million a year Bank of Americaanother $72.4 million in Synovus$41 million in Citibank and the rest in JP Morganas revealed by an analysis of confidential bank records that were accessed and analyzed THE NATIONafter the intervention of the United States judiciary.
How were these funds managed? Bank records show that the company transferred at least $42 million to four limited liability companies (LLCs) incorporated in Miami, regularly transferring five- and six-figure sums.
The companies are Soagu Services LLCwhich received $10.8 million; Marmasch LLCwith $13.4 million in remittances; Velp LLCwith $3 million; And Velpasalt LLC, with $14.7 million, despite not registering employees or verifying activity.
Together and separately, the four societies exhibit unique characteristics They raise the possibility that these are “vehicle” companies acting as intermediaries for an eventual diversion of tens of millions of dollars from the AFA towards people who remain in the shadows.
Soagu Services LLC, Marmasch LLC and Velp LLC registered an address at Suite 228 at 1031 Ives Dairy Road, a two-story office building in Miami, where they operate from a skin care business to law firms and medical offices that are advertised online as offering the “virtual office” service.
More suspicious data. The four companies used the firm as a registration agent. Registered Agents Incbased in Wyoming, which has come under scrutiny in recent years Washington Post and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). And one more thing: The owners of three of the four companies (Soagu, Marmasch and Velpasalt) live or work in the city of Bariloche on the Rio Negro.
TourProdEnter LLC’s four bank accounts are now in the same name Erica Gillettewho presents herself on social networks as being “full-time committed to the family”. Her husband, businessman Javier Faroni, acts as a signatory on the JP Morgan account and has credit cards linked to the Bank of America account.
In addition to being a theater producer, Faroni also has explicit political connections: while leading Aerolíneas Argentinas, he was a member of the Aerolíneas Argentinas board Alberto Fernandez and he was a deputy of the Frente Renovador in Buenos Aires, the area of Sergio Massa.
In response to the request from THE NATIONGillette and Faroni declined to answer questions. But those close to the businessman said that “the company TourProdEnter is the global sales representative of the AFA and its role is to organize the logistics of the AFA.” “As part of these functions, he acts as a debt collection and paying agent, always within the correct framework of his business area and in accordance with the contractual relationship agreed with the AFA. In this context, he carries out the actions that he must carry out for his logistics function and in accordance with the formal instructions of the association, if necessary also as a debt collection and paying agent.”
Another of the most frequently referred destinations from TourProDenter was Adcap Uruguay Securities Agent. According to the documentation analyzed by, he received $109.9 million THE NATION. The Bank of America account was most commonly used for these movements. From there came $76.6 million, of which $8.7 million carried the concept of “pop payment for AFA suppliers”.
Regulated by the Central Bank of Uruguay, the company specializes in providing investment and liquidity management services to companies and institutions.
consulted by THE NATIONFrom Adcap they confirmed that TourProdEnter LLC and the AFA were their clients who, like “thousands” of other clients, resorted to regulated vehicles in various countries and “used the bond market to make payments to and from abroad, given the exchange rate trap and exchange rate gap” that existed in Argentina.
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