Maxi Ghione was arrested this Tuesday, September 29, in the town of Lehmann, province of Santa Fe, as part of an investigation initiated after a report from a sex worker. The Justice is investigating alleged aggravated threats and unlawful deprivation of liberty, while also analyzing the weapons seized during the raid conducted at the actor's home.
In recent years, the actor had distanced himself from Buenos Aires and settled in Lehmann, a small town near Rafaela.
The investigation began following a complaint filed by Emiliano Ezequiel Tarragona, who claimed he had been hired by Ghione to provide escort services. According to his account, he arrived at the residence on the morning of September 20 for a meeting that had initially been agreed upon for one hour.
The whistleblower of Maxi Ghione
According to the complainant's version, the meeting extended for several hours and both consumed drugs. Tarragona stated that he subsequently began to feel uncomfortable and wanted to leave, but Ghione allegedly prevented him from doing so.
“At one point, he pulled out two firearms. He said to me: ‘Look, they are loaded’. He didn’t point them at me, but he did it to intimidate me. He wouldn’t let me leave. I was deprived of my liberty. I couldn’t go. I was there for a total of five hours until I could leave,” he recounted in the complaint shared on LAM (América TV).
The man claimed that once he managed to return home, he contacted the actor again to demand payment for the additional time he had spent there. According to his testimony, Ghione allegedly refused and later threatened him.
Maxi Ghione
“I am filing this complaint to obtain some distance, as I am very scared. The accused is a very well-known actor, he has worked in soap operas and more,” Tarragona expressed in his submission.
What was found in Maxi Ghione's house during the raid
Following the complaint, prosecutor Juan Manuel Puig from the Public Prosecutor's Office ordered a series of measures that led to the raid conducted this Tuesday at the property where Ghione resides. The operation was carried out by personnel from the Police Investigations (PDI).
During the procedure, several firearms were seized, which were incorporated into the investigation to establish their characteristics and registration status. Initial media reports differed regarding the exact number: some mentioned four and others at least eight.
After the raid, Ghione was transferred to Rafaela and is now at the disposal of the Justice while the investigation progresses. So far, there is no definitive resolution regarding his criminal responsibility nor a firm qualification of all the investigated facts.
Tarragona also gave a television interview in which he expanded on his version. He stated that when he tried to move around the house, Ghione allegedly displayed two weapons and warned him that they were loaded.
The complainant also stated that he later received phrases that he interpreted as threats. “He told me: ‘Be careful, never think of talking about me’,” he affirmed while recounting the episode.
What Maxi Ghione's lawyer said about the complaint
After the arrest became known, Ghione's defense rejected the publicly circulated version of events. His lawyer, Juan Manuel Lovaiza, explained that he was able to interview the actor and noted that he was still waiting to access all the evidence collected by the Prosecutor's Office.
“There is an abysmal distance between what is at least being published and what the defendant told,” the lawyer stated in comments to Rafaela Noticias.
Later, in a conversation with LAM, he insisted on the differences between both versions, although he clarified that he did not intend to discredit the complainant in advance. “Maxi's statements are widely different from those provided by Emiliano. I want to be very respectful because this is an incident that happened behind closed doors. Therefore, I cannot dismiss, much less as a defender, the victim's account,” he expressed.
The lawyer also referred to the weapons found on the property and stated that, according to what Ghione told him, most would be legally registered. “He mentioned one that was ornamental, inherited from a grandfather, and that is no longer manufactured. For the rest, he would be a legitimate user,” he affirmed. The registration status of the firearms will need to be determined within the framework of the investigation.
Lovaiza also assured that the actor was surprised by the progress of the case. “He is totally surprised, worried about the situation. He never imagined he would be arrested. That is his current procedural situation: detained,” he noted.
