A con artist who exploited the name of Pablo Escobar to sell flamethrowers and luxury items with the help of scantily dressed models but failed to deliver them has been sentenced to prison. Olof Kyros Gustafsson, 32, the CEO of Escobar Inc, orchestrated an elaborate global scam where he deceived customers into buying products supposedly associated with the infamous Colombian drug lord.
Under the alias El Silencio, the Swedish national utilized partially clad women to promote goods like branded phones and an “Escobar Flamethrower,” enticing buyers to make online purchases that never materialized. Operating Escobar Inc from Puerto Rico, Gustafsson leveraged his rights as the successor-in-interest to Pablo Escobar’s image, the former leader of the Medellin Cartel who met his demise in 1993.
Exploiting Escobar’s notoriety, Gustafsson marketed various items such as the “Escobar Flamethrower,” gold foldable smartphones, and a digital currency named “Escobar Cash” at significantly discounted prices between 2019 and 2023. To boost public interest, he even sent foil-wrapped Samsung Galaxy flip phones to tech reviewers. When dissatisfied customers demanded refunds for undelivered products, Gustafsson sent them trivial items like a “Certificate of Ownership” or promotional books.
Through these deceitful tactics, Gustafsson amassed a fortune of $1.3 million, although observant individuals noticed discrepancies. YouTuber Marques Brownlee exposed the scheme in a 2024 video, declaring that victims were being swindled. Subsequently, the FBI approached Brownlee for his communications with Escobar Inc.
Reportedly, the laundered money from Gustafsson’s fraudulent activities originated from bank accounts in the United States, Sweden, and the United Arab Emirates. After being extradited from Spain to the US in 2023, Gustafsson has been in federal detention since March 2025. He admitted guilt in July 2025 to multiple charges of fraud and money laundering, resulting in a four-year prison sentence from a Los Angeles court.
According to the US Attorney’s Office, Gustafsson, also known as “El Silencio,” was sentenced by United States District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha to 48 months in federal prison. Additionally, he was fined $25,000 and ordered to pay $1,300,193 in restitution. Gustafsson has agreed to forfeit illicitly obtained funds, including assets held in a Swedish bank account.