Jacob Ostreicher

Jacob Ostreicher is a businessman and investor born in 1959. His career has been marked by various ventures, including an investment in a rice growing agricultural project in Bolivia. However, his involvement in this project led to his arrest in June 2011 in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. The arrest was made on suspicion of money laundering, although Ostreicher was never formally charged with the offense.

Ostreicher's detention lasted for 18 months, during which time he maintained his innocence, strongly denying the allegations made against him by the Bolivian government. His family and friends launched a public campaign to secure his release, garnering support from notable figures such as actor-activist Sean Penn, who visited Ostreicher in Bolivia and pledged to advocate for his freedom. Throughout the ordeal, Ostreicher remained adamant that the accusations against him were unfounded, describing them as "the scam of the century".