Alleged Brazilian money-laundering scheme touches Dezer Development, Porsche Design

Porsche Design Tower (Credit: Getty Images)
Porsche Design Tower (Credit: Getty Images)

Brazilian authorities are accusing a Brazilian contractor of laundering money through Dezer Development tied to the development of a Porsche Design-branded towers in Santa Carina, Brazil.

The contractor, Carelli Properties, partnered last year with Porsche Design Group to build a four-tower, 740-unit development in the town of Balneario Camboriu. Sunny Isles Beach-based Dezer holds the master license agreement for the Porsche Design, and completed the first branded-tower in Sunny Isles Beach last year.

The Brazilian government alleges that Carelli Properties illegally funneled up to $4.1 million to the the U.S. via Dezer as licensing payments for the Porsche Design brand, the Daily Business Review reported. Dezer responded, saying that it “satisfied its obligations under the master license by paying royalties and fees to the owner of the trademark in Germany” and that it has absolutely no knowledge of the process Carelli used to transfer license fee money from Brazil to banks in the United States.”

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Brazilian authorities allege an unnamed contractor, with a description that fits Carelli Properties, of using a fake company and fraudulent contracts to pay a U.S. developer instead of the German company in order to avoid taxes.

The Brazilian government launched an investigation called “Connection Miami” to continue looking into alleged contributors described as “representatives of the international car brand and will be indicted via international cooperation,” according to the Daily Business Review. [DBR] – Katherine Kallergis