DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Son of Dominican Senate VP Sued for Fraud in New York Over Alleged Forgery and Misuse of U.S. Legal System

Salvador Catrain, son of the Dominican Senate VP, faces a fraud suit in New York over a forged note and alleged misuse of legal process.

The removal of the original case in FL does not eliminate the harm caused or absolve the use of forged documents. It is now up to the NY courts to thoroughly evaluate Mr. Catrain's conduct."

— Justice Transparency Initiative spokesperson

SANTO DOMINGO, NATIONAL DISTRICT, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, May 20, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Son of the Vice President of the Dominican Senate is sued for fraud in New York after withdrawal of case in the U.S. for alleged forgery

Salvador Catrain Calderón, Dominican lawyer and son of the Vice President of the Senate of

the Dominican Republic, faces a lawsuit for civil fraud in the Supreme Court of the State of New York (case No. 151157/2025). The legal action follows his withdrawal from earlier litigation in the United States, which was closed with prejudice by order of federal judge Robert Scola, preventing Catrain from refiling the same lawsuit and expressly leaving open the possibility for previous defendants — now plaintiffs in New York — to file a fraud lawsuit.

The current lawsuit, filed by William Matthew Hawk and Jose Dalby Contreras, alleges that Catrain filed a purportedly signed promissory note in June 2021, along with affidavits in support of his claim. However, official immigration records show that the plaintiffs were not in the Dominican Republic on the date indicated, and an expert report concludes that at least one of the witness signatures was forged.

In addition, reference is made to technical metadata analyses that raise doubts about the completeness and chronology of the affidavits used in the previous process. A few days after this evidence was introduced, Catrain requested the withdrawal of his lawsuit. Although the federal court accepted its withdrawal, the fact that it was done with prejudice represents a substantial legal defeat and has raised questions about the authenticity and validity of the documents used by Catrain.

"Mr. Catrain attempted to litigate in the United States with documents whose validity does not stand up to the slightest technical or legal scrutiny," said a spokesperson for the Justice Transparency Initiative, a New York-based legal monitoring organization. "The detrimental withdrawal not only closes his original case, but leaves the way open for him to be held civilly liable for fraud, as has now happened in New York."

The plaintiffs have also reported the case to U.S. immigration authorities, including CBP and the Fraud Prevention Unit, highlighting possible inconsistencies with the conditions of entry under the B2 visa. The current lawsuit remains active in New York State, where the civil consequences of the alleged facts will be evaluated.