Five people who were posing to be nuns have been arrested by authorities in Costa Rica. They reportedly accepted donations for false charity clinics but used that donated money for themselves. These included trips and lavish purchases, as the money did not go to those in need.

Randall Zúñiga, the head of the Central American country's judicial investigative agency, told reporters during a news conference that the five suspects, who were composed of four women and one man, were posing as members of a missionary order of nuns.

The investigator added that even though they were fakes, the five still recruited novices to join their "order." However, authorities found that they also abused these novices, who were never able to take their vows as nuns.

The Associated Press reported that the fake nuns took approximately $12 million in funds from government agencies over at least five years. This money was supposed to support their health care and shelter operations, particularly in the fake charity clinic that they were supposedly running.

Those under their supposed case reportedly did not receive proper treatment or attention and had to be hospitalized. Their scheme was eventually exposed when some of the novices went to the police.

On its Facebook page, the group described itself as "a non-profit NGO founded in 1991 to serve people with special physical or intellectual needs." However, the five people running the fake charity are now facing charges of embezzlement, misuse of funds, labor exploitation, and torture.

The fake nuns were running two care homes in provincial Costa Rica, known as "Open Hands Homes." They reportedly cared for children and the elderly, though the group now stands accused of mistreatment and neglecting the care of those under their charge.

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Fake Nuns Did Not Pay the Novices in Their False Charity Organization in Costa Rica

Zúñiga noted that the novices who were working for the fake nuns in that false charity organization were doing work for free as they were not paid in addition to the organization not letting them take their vows as nuns.

According to News 4, these novices were also forced to dress up as clinical staff to fool government officials so that they would give money to the now-revealed false charity organization.

Patients in Costa Rica Fake Nuns' Clinic Hospitalized After Discovery of Scam

Multiple raids have been conducted in Costa Rica over the fake nuns' schemes. This uncovered the negligence of the group as it cared for 79 children and 80 elderly individuals who suffered from a terminal disease or had physical disabilities.

The negligence and poor care these patients received was so bad that, according to AM Costa Rica, they were soon taken to three public hospitals, including the National Children's Hospital in San Jose, as well as the main hospitals in the provinces of Cartago and Alajuela where the clinics were located.

The victims are currently receiving the medical care denied to them by the fake charity. It was also noted that while the five defendants are not government employees, they still received government funding. Thus, they are still subjected to the same public employee laws.

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This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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