Lawyer's murder in Ponce linked to two lawsuits over $261,000 in medicinal cannabis
Lawyer Luis Quiñones González and former activist Félix Plaud de Choudens were killed on 23 October, amid legal disputes over investments in dispensaries.
Multi-million disputes in medicinal cannabis precede murders in Ponce and Guayama
Two civil lawsuits totalling $261,000 in claims, promises of multi-million pound profits and failed investments in medicinal cannabis dispensaries form the economic backdrop to the murder of lawyer Luis A. Quiñones González, which occurred on 23 October on Avenida Las Américas in Ponce. According to documentation by elnuevodia.com, the disputes were filed by William Noel Rivera Sánchez against individuals and companies linked to the medicinal cannabis sector, including Quiñones González himself and former statehood activist Félix Plaud de Choudens.
Quiñones González died whilst receiving medical assistance at a Ponce hospital after suffering multiple gunshot wounds. The body of Plaud de Choudens, who had been reported missing, was found later near a petrol station in Guayama. Shortly afterwards, sources confirmed that Rivera Sánchez's body was found at a residence in Santa Isabel; the circumstances of his death remain under investigation.
Before his death, Rivera Sánchez published a video on social media in which he claimed responsibility for the murder of Quiñones González. Authorities warned that the statements contained in that recording do not constitute confirmation of the facts, which remain under investigation.
First lawsuit: $100,000 and a breached payment agreement
Judicial documents examined by elnuevodia.com reveal that the first lawsuit was filed on 14 February 2025 before the San Juan Court. The defendants included Plaud de Choudens, his mother Estrella de Choudens Colón, and the company Victory Research & Development, among others.
According to the claim, the business relationship began on 2 October 2021, when Rivera Sánchez allegedly delivered $5,000 to Plaud de Choudens to acquire a stake in a medicinal cannabis dispensary in Cupey. Subsequently, according to his allegations, he was informed that this money would be allocated to another establishment in Arroyo, supposedly about to begin operations.
"The defendant also promised the plaintiff in that conversation that once that dispensary began to operate they would become millionaires because there were no similar establishments in the region," the judicial document states.
Rivera Sánchez maintained that he continued making contributions for projects in Arroyo, Guayama and Toa Baja, covering overdue rent, construction materials, equipment and permits. However, he alleged that he faced obstacles in obtaining operating licences and discovered that Plaud de Choudens was not listed as owner of Victory Research & Development; rather, the company was registered in the name of his mother.
He also attributed the loss of a licence to the late submission of documents to the Department of Health. Faced with this situation, Rivera Sánchez alleged he had been a victim of fraud and claimed the return of $100,000. To finance the projects, he claimed to have sold three vehicles and a plot of land, obtained a loan and used $14,000 from his credit card.
According to the claim, Plaud de Choudens agreed to return that amount through a notarised agreement that provided for monthly payments of $10,000, although the plaintiff maintained that he received only one disbursement, in October 2024. The lawsuit sought compensation of no less than $500,000 for the alleged damages.
On 29 August 2025, the San Juan Court issued a judgment by judicial stipulation following an agreement between the parties. The determination was issued by Judge Katarina Stipec Rubio, who accepted the stipulation and incorporated its terms into the judgment. The court further ordered the case to be archived by withdrawal without prejudice with respect to the other co-defendants. The judgment document examined by this outlet does not include the content of the stipulation, and therefore the economic conditions agreed upon remain unknown.
Second lawsuit: $161,000 and unrecognised participation in Cupey
On 25 June 2026, Rivera Sánchez filed a second lawsuit for breach of contract and damages, this time against Quiñones González, Plaud de Choudens and other individuals and commercial entities. In this case, he alleged having invested $161,000 in a project to establish a medicinal cannabis dispensary in Cupey.
According to the claim, negotiations began in mid-2021, when Rivera Sánchez met with Quiñones González, who allegedly explained that he was associated with Plaud de Choudens in businesses related to medicinal cannabis. Both reportedly presented him with a proposal to acquire a stake in an establishment linked to the companies Diamante Verde, LLC., and Cupey Wellness, LLC.
Rivera Sánchez alleged having agreed to contribute $125,000 in exchange for a 24.5% stake in the business. On 21 August 2021 he delivered $10,000 in cash to Quiñones González as a down payment. He completed the $125,000 in 2023 and allocated another $36,000 to the payment of rent, purchase of equipment and improvements to the establishment.
However, he maintained that the defendants did not carry out the necessary steps to formally recognise his participation in the business, despite the commitments undertaken.
Active investigations
The deaths of Quiñones González and Plaud de Choudens, as well as the circumstances of Rivera Sánchez's death in Santa Isabel, remain under investigation by the authorities. The content of the civil disputes, which cover claimed investments dating from 2021, forms part of the context that investigators are examining surrounding the violent events of 23 October.
Source: Google News PR — San Juan