The Madrid High Court has confirmed a two-year prison term for Toño Sanchís. He was found guilty of misappropriating more than €475,000 from TV personality Belén Esteban. The ruling also includes a fine and compensation order.
The Superior Court of Justice of Madrid has upheld the two-year prison sentence for Toño Sanchís, former representative of Belén Esteban, confirming his conviction for misappropriating over €475,000 from the well-known television collaborator. The court dismissed Sanchís's appeal against the earlier ruling by the Provincial Court of Madrid, which also imposed a €2,100 fine and ordered him to compensate Esteban for the full amount determined during the execution of the judgment.
The case centers on a contract signed in May 2009 between Belén Esteban and Agencia de Servicios Lorant S.L., managed in practice by Sanchís. Under the agreement, the agency acted as Esteban's exclusive representative, collecting all her media and image rights fees. The contract stipulated a 20% commission for the agency, with the remaining 80% to be transferred to Esteban's company, BEM Imaging SL. However, the court found that Sanchís systematically applied higher commissions than agreed, diverting the difference for his own benefit.
Between 2009 and 2015, Sanchís withheld significant sums by instructing the agency's accounting firm to transfer less than the agreed 80% to Esteban's company. The court detailed that this practice allowed him to appropriate €362,248 from contracts with major production companies and media outlets, including Gestmusic, Endemol, Furiezza, RBA Lecturas, Cosmetics Galeno, and La Fábrica de la Tele—the latter accounting for €164,748 alone. Additionally, Sanchís retained €12,100 and €14,520 from two invoices issued by BEM Imaging that were never presented for payment. The total misappropriated amount reached €475,571 after further discrepancies were uncovered.
When the professional relationship ended in 2015, Esteban demanded a full accounting. The courts ordered Agencia de Servicios Lorant to pay her €388,868, but she recovered only €49,318 in cash and a mortgaged property valued at €375,000. The agency later entered bankruptcy proceedings and was dissolved in 2020. The Madrid court emphasized that Sanchís was the de facto administrator, responsible for calculating commissions, directing the accounting firm, and deciding the fate of the withheld funds. The judges found the evidence—contracts, invoices, accounting reports, and witness statements—sufficient and well-documented to support the conviction.
This high-profile case follows a series of legal actions involving prominent figures in Spain. For example, a recent court decision in Badajoz barred David Sánchez, brother of the Prime Minister, from public office for nine years after a misconduct ruling, highlighting the judiciary's ongoing scrutiny of public and private sector conduct.
Cases like that of Toño Sanchís underscore the importance of transparency and accountability in Spain's entertainment and media industries. The legal process, which spanned several years and multiple court levels, demonstrates the complexity of resolving financial disputes involving high-profile personalities. The outcome also reflects the Spanish courts' willingness to impose criminal penalties and financial restitution in cases of proven misappropriation, regardless of the defendant's public profile. As the sector continues to evolve, such rulings may serve as a warning to agents and representatives about the legal risks of breaching fiduciary duties.
