Pahrump man booked for allegedly extorting debtors

A Pahrump man is facing extortion charges after deputies say he threatened to sic the Mexican cartel on multiple people who owed him money.

Jaime Varela was jailed on extortion charges for allegedly sending a group text to his debtors identifying himself as “The Punisher” and informing them their debts had been sold to an individual at an office in Mexico known as “Sr,” an abbreviation for señor.

The messages were all sent in Spanish, according to a Nye County Sheriff’s Office report released this week, and threatened violence if recipients did not make payment.

One debtor who received a message told deputies they feared they might be “kidnapped” or held for ransom by Varela for not paying him back. One of the recipients in the group text shared a child with Varela, according to the sheriff’s office.

Another who reportedly owed more than $41,000 to Varela told deputies that his creditor had past connections to a narco-cartel.

During the investigation, Varela reportedly told deputies he sent the threatening messages because he could not afford to retain an attorney to pursue his debtors in court.

“Varela indicated that he attempted and spoke to a lawyer, but it was going to be $10,000,” according to a sheriff’s report. “That’s the reason he was going to go through a Mexican debt collector because he only charges 10 to 20 percent.”