Jet Set Nightclub Owner Arrested in Ongoing Investigation Into Tragic Roof Collapse in Dominican Republic
Jet Set nightclub owner Antonio Espaillat is facing the consequences from the tragic roof collapse that killed 236 people. The nightclub tragedy stunned people around the world. As the investigation progressed, a clearer picture of structural issues and warnings came into focus. An employee came forward with enough information for authorities to arrest Espaillat. Here is what we know.
Authorities arrested Jet Set nightclub owner Antonio Espaillat
An employee of Jet Set nightclub came forward with pertinent information for authorities. According to the employee’s attorney, the information proves that Espaillat knew the risks of the roof’s structural integrity. This goes against Espaillat’s claims that he was never made aware of any risks. In his first interview after the roof collapse, Espaillat claimed that he would have made necessary repairs. He maintained that any concerns were never brought to his attention.
“If there had been something that caught my attention or that they (my staff and private contractors) had told me: ‘look, we need to check this, that, or the other,’ I would have gladly done it,” he told El Día RD in an extended interview in April 2025.
The employee turned over their phone to investigators, according to their attorney Plinio Pina. The phone contained information that Espaillat knew about concerns regarding the roof but ignored them.
“Our client presented, basically, evidence of conversations in which he gave an account of the situation at the nightclub in which he expressed his fears and apprehensions, and his suggestion that the event be suspended,” Mr. Pina told reporters. “And that was ignored.”
According to The New York Times, Espaillat and his sister, Maribel Espaillat, have been charged in connection to the collapse. Antonio is facing charges of involuntary homicide. The attorney general’s office, in a statement claims that the siblings “demonstrated immense irresponsibility and negligence by failing to do what was necessary to ensure that the Jet Set Club’s roof was adequately and expertly repaired.”
The permits and inspections for the club were expired
De Último Minuto reports that the nightclub has been operating with expired permits and without current authorization from the Fire Department or Ministry of Public Works. The Public Ministry claims that Antonio and Maribel continued to run the nightclub without the minimum safety certifications.
“The establishment’s land use permit had expired since 2022 and did not have updated certifications regarding evacuation, fire systems, or structural resistance,” read court documents, according to De Último Minuto.
Additionally, it has been reported that a recent renovation at the nightclub hindered its structural integrity, according to Dominican Today.
The new evidence is building a case against the defendants
“Both defendants displayed immense irresponsibility and negligence by failing to physically intervene to prevent the club’s roof from collapsing, as it ultimately did, causing 236 deaths and more than 180 injuries,” the Dominican Republic’s Attorney General’s Office said in a statement, according to the Associated Press.
Prosecutors are also claiming that the Espaillat siblings engaged in intimidation and manipulation against employees. The Espaillats’ attorney, Miguel Valerio, is hopeful to see the evidence being built by the prosecution.
