# Mendoza corruption case sentencing and legal fallout

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/mendoza-corruption-case-sentencing-and-legal-fallout
> Updated: 2026-10-29T00:31:29.000Z. Sources: 4. Developments: 2.

Former Las Heras Mayor Daniel Orozco and former Government Secretary Janina Ortiz were sentenced to three years of suspended prison sentences following a plea bargain in the ‘Cooperativa Fantasma’ corruption case. The investigation revealed that approximately $35.5 million pesos in municipal transfers were diverted for allegedly simulated cleaning services through a cooperative between 2021 and 2023. Both individuals also received a lifetime ban from holding public office.

Following the conviction, Janina Ortiz filed a constitutional challenge with the Supreme Court of Justice of Mendoza to recover 30 months of unpaid salary. Ortiz had been suspended from the Chamber of Deputies in March 2024, with payments withheld pending a final judicial sentence. Her legal defense argues that the withholding of salary violated the principle of innocence, claiming a ‘legal loophole’ exists regarding the authority of the Chamber to withhold pay before a firm judicial sentence is reached.

## Timeline

### 2026-10-29: Janina Ortiz seeks unpaid wages following corruption conviction

Former Mendoza deputy Janina Ortiz is suing for 30 months of unpaid wages after being convicted of embezzlement involving $35.5 million.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/janina-ortiz-seeks-unpaid-wages-following-corruption-conviction

### 2026-10-21: Daniel Orozco and Janina Ortiz sentenced in Mendoza corruption case

Former Las Heras Mayor Daniel Orozco and Janina Ortiz received three-year suspended sentences and a lifetime ban from public office in a Mendoza municipal corruption case.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/daniel-orozco-and-janina-ortiz-sentenced-in-mendoza-corruption-case

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Cite as: Mendoza corruption case sentencing and legal fallout. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/mendoza-corruption-case-sentencing-and-legal-fallout
