Olof Kyros Gustafsson, 32, CEO of Escobar Inc, ran an international fraud scheme where he tricked buyers of merchandise, which he falsely claimed was linked to Colombian drug lord

A fraudster who used Pablo Escobar’s name to market flamethrowers and luxury goods using scantily clad models which he never delivered has been jailed.

Olof Kyros Gustafsson, 32, CEO of Escobar Inc, ran an international fraud scheme where he tricked buyers of merchandise, which he claimed was linked to the infamous late Colombian drug lord.

The Swedish national, who had the nickname El Silencio, used semi-naked women to advertise the products like branded phones and an “Escobar Flamethrower” but when people bought them online, they were never delivered.

He registered Escobar Inc in Puerto Rico and held successor-in-interest rights to the persona of Pablo Escobar who was the head of the Medellin Cartel and killed in 1993.

Gustafsson used that notoriety to market items like the "Escobar Flamethrower" gold foldable smartphones, and a physical cryptocurrency called "Escobar Cash" at prices far lower than what would be the normal market price from 2019 to 2023.

He even sent foil-wrapped Samsung Galaxy flip phones to tech reviewers to drum up public demand. When paying customers demanded refunds for non-existent goods, Gustafsson mailed them items like a "Certificate of Ownership" or promotional books instead.

And in so doing Gustafsson raked in a $1.3million fortune but some suspicious recipients quickly noticed red flags and YouTuber Marques Brownlee highlighted the scam in a video posted in 2024. “Those people were getting scammed out of their money,” he said. “Honestly, in hindsight, I don’t know how they thought they were gonna get away with this.”

Brownlee then claimed he was visited by the FBI who asked for the phone and communications which he had had with Escobar Inc.

The money that Gustafsson is alleged to have been laundered from bank accounts in the United States, Sweden, and the United Arab Emirates.

He was extradited from Spain in 2023 back to the US, and he has been in federal custody since March 2025. He previously pleaded guilty in July 2025 to a myriad of fraud and money-laundering charges and has now been jailed to four years in prison by a Los Angeles court.

A statement from the US Attorney's Office read: "A Swedish national who licensed the rights of the late Colombian narco-terrorist Pablo Escobar was sentenced today to 48 months in federal prison for defrauding investors by marketing and selling products – including flamethrowers and cellphones – that he never delivered.

"Olof Kyros Gustafsson, 32, a.k.a. “El Silencio,” was sentenced by United States District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha, who also fined him $25,000, and ordered him to pay $1,300,193 in restitution. Gustafsson has agreed to forfeit funds that were proceeds of the fraud schemes, including money currently held in a bank account in Sweden."