District of Puerto Rico

A Puerto Rico man was sentenced today to 14 months in prison, three years of supervised release and a $10,000 fine for the destruction and filling of wetlands in violation of the Clean Water Act.

According to court documents, between January 2020 and December 2023, Awildo Jimenez-Mercado, 41, removed mangroves from wetlands within and around the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (JBNERR) in Las Mareas, Puerto Rico. Despite lacking a permit, he filled the area with quarry material and built concrete structures atop. Jimenez-Mercado then built hospitality rental homes and an in-ground pool on the land, as well as a dock extending into the Caribbean Sea. He then named the property “Hidden Paradise” and rented the units online as short-term vacation properties for up to $495 per night. Jimenez-Mercado was indicted on Dec. 6, 2023, and pleaded guilty on May 3.

Mangrove wetlands, such as those destroyed by Jimenez-Mercado, are critical to local infrastructure, economies and ecosystems because they can limit damage from flooding and storms, reduce pollution and provide habitat for numerous marine and endangered species. The JBNERR was designated as a reserve in 1981 to protect the wetlands and study the biological and societal impacts of estuarine habitat, as well as provide recreation and educational opportunities to local communities. The reserve is home to the endangered brown pelican, peregrine falcon, hawksbill turtle and West Indian manatee.

Congress enacted the Clean Water Act in 1972 to protect and maintain the integrity of the waters of the United States. It prohibits the discharge of any pollutant and fill material into waters of the United States except when a permit is obtained from the United States.

This case is part of an ongoing investigation into the destruction of wetlands in Puerto Rico. Previously charged individuals include Luis Enrique Rodriguez-Sanchez, sentenced in June; Pedro Luis Bones-Torres, scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 7; and Rafael Carballo-Diaz and Nathaniel Hernandez-Claudio, who are scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 13.

Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico made the announcement.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division and the FBI investigated the case, with support from the Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands Environmental Crimes Task Force.

Senior Trial Attorney Patrick M. Duggan of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth A. Erbe for the District of Puerto Rico are prosecuting the case.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – United States District Court Chief Judge Raúl Arias Marxuach sentenced three individuals in three separate cases for production of child pornography.

Noah Spearman, 23, was sentenced on September 4, 2024, to 327 months (27 years and three months) in prison, and a supervised release term of life, for four counts of production of child pornography. On May 24, 2023, Spearman pleaded guilty to four counts of production of child pornography.

According to court documents, from August 2021 through July 2022, Spearman induced, enticed, and coerced four female victims, ranging from nine to eleven years of age, to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography. Spearman used different social media applications such as Snapchat, WhatsApp, and Tyia to commit these crimes.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Ginette Milanés prosecuted the case.

On August 29, 2024, Christopher Joel Rabell-Piñeiro, 26, was sentenced to 210 months (17 years and six months) in prison and a supervised release term of 15 years, for one count of production of child pornography.

According to court documents, Rabell-Piñeiro used his cell phone and internet instant messaging services from November 2021 through March 2022 to use and coerce a 12-year-old female to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of that sexual conduct and transmitting the images.

Rabell-Piñeiro was indicted on May 31, 2023, and pleaded guilty on May 28, 2024. The Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case.

AUSA Emelina Agrait-Barreto from the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit, prosecuted the case.

On Tuesday, September 3, 2024, Eric Torres-Nieves, was sentenced to 66 months (five years and six months) of imprisonment followed by 20 years of supervised release for obtaining via the internet and possessing child pornography in his electronic devices.

AUSA Jenifer Hernández Vega, Chief of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit prosecuted the case and HSI was in charge of the investigation of the case.

On Thursday, September 5, 2024, U.S. District Court Judge Aida Delgado-Colón sentenced Bladimir López-Sanes, to 72 months (six years) of imprisonment followed by six years of supervised release for transferring via the internet child pornography in his electronic devices.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenifer Hernández Vega, Chief of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit prosecuted the case and HSI was in charge of the investigation of the case.

U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office; and Rebecca González-Ramos, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations made the announcements.

All cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal jury convicted Jonathan Torres-Rojas on August 27, 2024, for Conspiracy to Interference with Commerce by Robbery and Interference with Commerce by Robbery.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Torres-Rojas, along with at least one more individual, conspired to unlawfully take and obtain property consisting in U.S. currency from the business El Rejón del Gallo in Orocovis, Puerto Rico, which resulted in the death of José Antonio Medina Meléndez, the owner of El Rejón del Gallo.

On June 12, 2015, the defendant and others, met to discuss a plan to rob El Rejón del Gallo. That same day after 10 pm, Torres-Rojas and others arrived the business wearing black long-sleeved clothing, face masks, and carrying firearms. As the owner and wife were closing El Rejón del Gallo, the assailants approached the victims, grabbed one of the victims, and demanded money. Eventually, the victims gave the assailants the money, but the assailants demanded more. As the victims begged for their lives and complied, they told the assailants to take their vehicle when they demanded the keys for the 2001 gray Toyota Sequoia; then two shots were fired killing José Antonio Medina Meléndez.

The sentencing hearing was scheduled for December 6, 2024, at 9:00 AM.

The co-defendant in this case, Juan A. Negrón-Rodríguez, pleaded guilty on April 9, 2024, for interference with commerce by robbery and carjacking resulting in death. On July 9, 2024, U.S. District Court Judge Camille Vélez-Rivé sentenced Negrón-Rodríguez to 22 years (264 months) in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Daynelle Álvarez Lora is prosecuting the case.

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A national of the Dominican Republic pleaded guilty yesterday to his involvement in a deadly human smuggling conspiracy in Puerto Rico.

Alcibades De Paz, 34, pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of bringing certain aliens into the United States, resulting in death.

According to court documents, the defendant was identified as one of the captains of a vessel illegally carrying individuals, including a three-year-old child, from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico. The defendant admitted to operating the vessel during the human smuggling venture. While the co-conspirators were evading Puerto Rican law enforcement attempting to intercept the vessel safely, the vessel stopped functioning; De Paz admitted that he aided in starting the engine and throttling the boat’s engine towards the Puerto Rican shoreline. The vessel capsized as it reached the shoreline, leading to the child’s death.

“While smuggling migrants by boat to the United States, Alcibades De Paz attempted to evade law enforcement and sped toward the beach — a decision that resulted in the death of a three-year-old child after the vessel capsized,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This tragedy demonstrates human smugglers’ callous disregard for human life. The Criminal Division is committed to combating human smugglers who prey upon vulnerable migrants.”

A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. De Paz faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Puerto Rico investigated this case, with assistance from Puerto Rico Police Department (PRPD)’s Joint Forces of Rapid Action (FURA) and U.S. Border Patrol, Ramey Sector.

Trial Attorney Marie Zisa of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Emelina M. Agrait-Barreto for the District of Puerto Rico are prosecuting the case.

The investigation is being conducted under the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program, a joint partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI. The ECT program focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence, and prosecutorial resources. ECT coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury issued a superseding indictment on August 21, 2024, charging 52 violent gang members from the municipality of Caguas with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, possession and distribution of controlled substances, firearms violations, murder, and money laundering, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.

The initial federal indictment charged 38 individuals with drug trafficking, firearms violations, and one murder. The superseding indictment supplants the initial indictment, charges 14 additional defendants, and charges money laundering offenses and four more shootings involving 8 victims -- including the December 7, 2021, shooting in Cidra where five victims were killed.

“A year ago, we announced the arrests of some of the members of this violent gang, but our investigation did not end with those arrests. Today, we announce that through the efforts of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors, additional defendants have been arrested and charged with additional murders,” said United States Attorney Muldrow. “We will continue to hold violent gang members accountable for their crimes. Although the leader of this violent gang remains a fugitive from justice, we will continue to pursue him and his criminal associates, no matter where they hide or how long it takes.”

“Our communities are being torn apart by the devastating impact of drug trafficking. It’s crucial to understand that everyone involved, from the kingpins to those who support their criminal operations, share responsibility for the destruction and violence that follows in their wake. We will not rest until those responsible for perpetuating this cycle of suffering are brought to justice,” said Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “In the FBI, we are committed to pursuing every avenue to dismantle this criminal network, which includes seizing and forfeiting all ill-gotten gains and assets acquired through drug trafficking. This will encompass everything from boats and cars to houses and businesses, and even the arrest of those who are making it possible for fugitives of this organization to remain at large. There will be no safe haven for those who profit from this illegal activity.”

The superseding indictment alleges that from 2017 through the present, the drug trafficking organization distributed heroin, cocaine base (commonly known as “crack”), cocaine, marihuana, Fentanyl, Oxycodone (Percocet), and Alprazolam (Xanax) within 1,000 feet of the Brisas del Turabo, the Raúl Castellón, the Turabo Heights, and the Juan Jiménez García Public Housing Projects; and at the Barriada Morales, Barriada La Pajilla, and Bunker Wards in Caguas, and other areas throughout Puerto Rico, all for significant financial gain and profit.

Defendant [1] Nelson Torres-Delgado, the alleged leader of the violent drug trafficking organization charged in this Superseding Indictment, has held power over drug trafficking in the Caguas area since the early 2010s. He has been a federal fugitive since 2017 and has maintained control over the organization as a fugitive through deadly violence and intimidation, and by engaging in violent turf wars against rival drug trafficking organizations. His methods of avoiding capture while controlling his gang include limiting face-to-face contact to only the highest and most trusted leaders in his organization.

The defendants allegedly acted in different roles to further the goals of the drug trafficking conspiracy, to include: leaders, enforcers, runners, sellers, facilitators, and lookouts. The members of the gang allegedly used force, violence, and intimidation to maintain control of the areas in which they operated. The defendants charged in the drug trafficking conspiracy are:

[1] Nelson Torres-Delgado, a.k.a. “El Burro/Burro/

       Father/Nelsito/Cuatro Patas/El Animal/El Animal de Cuatro Patas

[2] Edwin Padilla-López, a.k.a. “Play/NBA/Pliki/Biscochito/Bizcochito/Juga” 

[3] Ronald Aponte-Marquez, a.k.a. “El Enano/Enano/Sepe”

[4] Eroz Rodríguez-Hernández, a.k.a. “Eros/Wason/El Joker”

[5] José Jiménez-Ramos, a.k.a. “El Mono/Mono/Joel El Mono”

[6] Lenne Carrasquillo-Serrano, a.k.a. “Taz/Leny/Lenny/Lenee/La J”

[7] Giovanny Solis-Carrasco, a.k.a. “Blanquito/Jova El Blanco/Joba El Blanco/Jova”

[8] Evaristo González-Vega, a.k.a. “Sonic/Viejo/Eva”

[9] Jariel Figueroa-Maymi, a.k.a. “Moni”

[10] José Torres-Pagán, a.k.a. “Abelino/Ave/Abe”

[11] Carlos De Jesús-García, a.k.a. “Oreja/Orejas”

[12] Gabriel Vázquez-Roldán, a.k.a. “Gordo/Gabby Gordo/Goldo/

        Goldito/Goldo Vázquez”

[13] José Martinez-Galvez, a.k.a. “El Chef/El Che/Chef”

[14] Armando L. Rivera-Rodríguez

[15] Jan Borges De Jesús, a.k.a. “El Man/Jan el Man/Jan El Chulo”

[16] Lester Vélez-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “El Eco/El Feo/Coco”

[17] Vanessa Santiago-Cotto

[18] Diana Mimoso-Figueroa, a.k.a. “La D/Di”

[19] José de la Vega, a.k.a. “Chupi/Pablo/Pablito”

[20] Michael Rodríguez-Flores, a.k.a. “Pinki”

[21] José Gautier-Medina, a.k.a. “Tempo”

[22] Miguel González-Sánchez, a.k.a. “Miky/Mikyy/El Code”

[23] Brian Sierra-Feliciano, a.k.a. “Kobe”

[24] Eric Camacho-Castro, a.k.a. “Pali”

[25] Héctor Torres-Pagán, a.k.a. “Pepo”

[26] Christian Martines-Franco, a.k.a. “El Menor/Menor/El Mynor/

        Mynor/Christian Menor”

[27] Edward Vázquez-Concepción, a.k.a. “Draculín/Drácula/Draco/Bestia Demon”

[28] Juan Acevedo-Ramos, a.k.a. “Tono/Tonito/Pelotero Kuker”

[29] Jean Villanueva-Figueroa, a.k.a. “Mueca/Mueka/Jan Mueca/Jean Mueca”

[30] Waldemar Pedraza-Díaz, a.k.a. “Walde”

[31] Melquiades Santana-Martínez, a.k.a. “Melki/Melqi”

[32] Juan Orellano-Díaz, a.k.a. “El Indio/Indio”

[33] Cesar Acevedo-Adorno

[34] Elimelec García-Escoda, a.k.a. “Flaco/Eli/Elimelek”

[35] Christopher Contreras-Baez, a.k.a. “Chimuelo”

[36] Luis Burgos-Ofarril, a.k.a. “Pájaro” 

[37] Francisco López-Sánchez

[39] José E. Ortiz-Colón, a.k.a. “Enki/Enky”

[40] Jean Carlos Baez-Algarín, a.k.a. “Taxista/Jan El Jincho/Lindo/Jan Buko/Jan”

[41] Juan Manuel González-Cotto, a.k.a. “Juanma”

[42] Carlos Rolón-Pérez

[43] Joel Omar Jiménez-Díaz, a.k.a. “Quiteo/Kuiteo”

[44] Edgard E. González-Vázquez, a.k.a. “Tomate”

[45] Rafael Acosta-Vega, a.k.a. “Gordo Rafa”

[46] Joey Divan Del Valle-Delgado, a.k.a. “Besito/Jowy”

[47] Minerys Burgos-Caez

[48] Glenda Irizarry-Campos

[49] Sebasthian García-Agostini, a.k.a. “Seba”

[50] Jeremy Johan Pérez-Bonilla, a.k.a. “Jere”

[51] Steven Omar Padilla-López,

[52] Wesley Abel Pedraza-Díaz

Thirty-six defendants are charged in Count Seven with possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Count Eight charges 10 defendants with possession of a machinegun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Count Nine charges defendants [15] Jan Borges De Jesús, [20] Michael Rodríguez-Flores, [21] José Gautier-Medina, [22] Miguel González-Sánchez, and [23] Brian Sierra-Feliciano for the murder of M.R.M. on May 15, 2022, in Caguas, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(j). The superseding indictment now also charges those same defendants in Count Sixteen with the same murder in violation of another federal offense -- the drive-by shooting statute (18 U.S.C. § 36).

Count Ten charges [38] Sheila Luyando-Fuentes with wrongful disclosure of individually identifiable health information. According to the indictment, Luyando-Fuentes, who was employed in the health care industry and had access to protected health information, acted as a facilitator and shared protected health information with gang members, including information about rival gang members hospitalized with injuries resulting from gun fights between the gangs, to assist in the gang’s efforts to locate and kill their enemies.

Count Eleven charges [2] Edwin Padilla-López, [37] Francisco López-Sánchez, and [42] Carlos Rolón-Pérez for the murder of R.B.M., using firearms, on June 6, 2020.

Count Twelve charges [1] Nelson Torres-Delgado, [2] Edwin Padilla-López, [4] Eroz Rodríguez-Hernández, and [37] Francisco López-Sánchez for the murder of R.M.O. on July 18, 2021.

Counts Thirteen and Fourteen charge [2] Edwin Padilla-López, [3] Ronald Aponte-Marquez, [4] Eroz Rodríguez-Hernández, and [39] José E. Ortiz-Colón for a massacre that occurred on December 7, 2021, in Cidra, Puerto Rico. These defendants murdered J.O.C., S.F.C., A.B.R., J.D.R., and B.A.C. in a drive-by shooting.

Count Fifteen charges [1] Nelson Torres-Delgado, [3] Ronald Aponte-Marquez, [4] Eroz Rodríguez-Hernández, and [41] Juan Manuel González-Cotto for the murder of G.A.H. on March 19, 2022.

Count 17 charges [49] Sebasthian Agostini-García and Count 18 charges [48] Glenda Irizarry-Campos for harboring and concealing E.P.L., a fugitive.

Count 19 charges [2] Edwin Padilla-López, [5] Jose Jiménez-Ramos, [36] Luis Burgos-Ofarril, [37] Francisco López-Sánchez, [47] Minerys Burgos-Caez, [48] Glenda Irizarry-Campos, [49] Sebasthian Agostini-García, and [51] Steven Omar Padilla-López with conspiracy to commit money laundering. These defendants obtained proceeds from drug trafficking in the continental United States and in Puerto Rico and used businesses like M.O. Service LLC and Gnails Marketplace to launder the proceeds. The defendants opened personal and business bank accounts to invest the proceeds into real estate properties, rental properties, motor vehicles and improvements to residential and commercial real estate.

This investigation was led by the FBI San Juan Violent Gang Safe Streets Task Force, which is comprised of Special Agents and Task Force Officers from the FBI, Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB), San Juan Municipal Police, Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), Puerto Rico Treasury Department (Hacienda), United States Department of Housing and Urban Development - Office of the Inspector General (HUD-OIG), Carolina Municipal Police Department, Bayamón Municipal Police Department and the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

The FBI thanks the United States Marshals Service (USMS) for their partnership in this investigation.  The FBI also thanks the Puerto Rico Police Bureau, especially the Caguas Drug Unit, Caguas Intelligence Unit, Caguas Homicide Unit, Guayama Homicide Unit, Special Arrests Unit, and Caguas Strike Force, for their assistance in this investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Gang Section Alberto López-Rocafort, Deputy Chief of the Gang Section, AUSA Teresa Zapata-Valladares, and AUSAs Héctor Siaca Flores, and R. Vance Eaton are prosecuting the case. If convicted on the drug charges, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years, and up to life in prison. If convicted of both the drug and firearms charges in Count Seven, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 15 years, and up to life in prison. The defendants charged in Count Eight with possession of machineguns in furtherance of drug trafficking face a mandatory consecutive sentence of thirty years in prison. The defendants charged in Counts Nine and Eleven through Sixteen with the firearms-related murders face a potential sentence of life imprisonment and, if authorized by the Attorney General of the United States, the death penalty. The defendant charged in Count Ten faces a maximum sentence of ten years in prison. Defendants charged in Counts Seventeen and Eighteen face up to five years in prison. The defendants charged for the money laundering counts face up to 20 years in prison.

All defendants charged in the drug conspiracy are facing a narcotics forfeiture allegation of $132 million and the United States is seeking forfeiture of the following property:

1. Cond. Costamar Beach Village West, Loíza, PR
2. Urb. La Campiña, Las Piedras, PR
3. Urb. Lake View State, Caguas, PR
4. Jardines Palmarejo, Canóvanas, PR
5. Urb. Estancias de Cambalache, Vistas de Río Grande, Canóvanas, PR
6. Yagrumos St. Monteverde Cupey 1, Sand Juan, PR
7. 2024 Lexus TX
8. 2017 Mercedes Benz GLC 300
9. 2020 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
10. $33,470 in cash
11. Fourteen black cell phones cloud Mobile C7 (12 in boxes, 2 without boxes), and eighteen T-Mobile Sim cards.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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SAN JUAN, P.R. – On August 22, 2024, a Federal Grand Jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned 32 separate indictments charging 32 individuals with engaging in fraud to obtain Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits totaling $981,071, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the United States Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG) are in charge of the investigations with the assistance of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources.

According to the indictments, the defendants engaged in schemes to defraud the Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources (Departamento del Trabajo y Recursos Humanos, “DTRH”) by submitting fraudulent applications to obtain unemployment insurance benefits which contained PUA funds.

Under the provisions of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, persons who were business owners, self-employed workers, independent contractors, or gig workers qualified for federal benefits (PUA) administered by the DTRH if they previously performed such work in Puerto Rico and were unemployed, partially unemployed, unable to work, or unavailable to work due to a COVID-19 related reason. To obtain these federal benefits, individuals could apply online through the DTRH’s web site—www.trabajo.pr.gov. Claimants answered various questions to establish their eligibility and were required to provide personal identifying information, which included their name, mailing address, gender, email, phone number, social security number, and date of birth. Moreover, claimants had to identify a qualifying occupational status and COVID-19 related reason for being out of work. In their application, claimants could also submit several documents as evidence of their income.

If the DTRH approved a claimant’s application, the DTRH would send a check to the claimant via the United States Postal Service for qualified benefits which could contain regular unemployment insurance benefits and federal funds in the form of PUA, Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC); and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) benefits.

The indictments charge the 32 individuals with theft of United States’ property—PUA benefits— mail fraud and misuse of Social Security numbers because the defendants engaged in deceptive conduct designed to fraudulently obtain multiple-unemployment checks from the DTRH by using false social security numbers. The defendants received PUA benefits from the DTRH via mail in the form of checks that they were not qualified or authorized to receive.

The defendants charged and the amount of money fraudulently obtained are:

1. Alexander Hernández-Casanova ($21,576)
2. Héctor Javier Fernández-Porrata ($40,488)
3. José Emanuel Serrano ($30,564)
4. José Manuel Salinas-Bermúdez ($18,180)
5. Kenny A. Cruz-Chévere ($49,476)
6. Luis Felipe Cesani-Cintrón ($66,390)
7. Michael Martínez-Torres ($21,444)
8. Juan José Reyes-Hernaiz ($35,022)
9. Neyscha Lee Font-Fontanez ($22,908)
10. Christopher J. Mercedes-Sánchez ($30,168)
11. Taylor Bryan Rentas-Día ($22,374)
12. Danny Olmo-Quiñones ($22,440)
13. Francisco J. Carrillo-Hernaiz ($43,152)
14. Julio Omar Rodríguez-Algarín ($31,632)
15. Alexander Barbosa-Concepción ($23,304)
16. Bryan Omar De Jesús-Pizarro ($53,636)
17. Bryan De Jesús-Acevedo ($17,580)
18. Carlos Alberto Batista-Serrano ($53,070)
19. Fabián Abdiel García-Concepción ($22,440)
20. Dianelys Ailysh Torres-Pizarro ($34,692)
21. Jamisael Jiménez-Pérez ($30,366)
22. Jerry Isaías Medina-Hernández ($20,112)
23. Jesús Manuel Crespo-Rivera ($31,830)
24. Glendaly Rivera-Torres ($21,708)
25. Joumar Vale-Sauri ($33,069)
26. Kelvin A. Fermaint-Hernández ($22,374)
27. Kenneth Javier Escalera-Paris ($17,910)
28. Manuel Salinas-Bermudez ($40,086)
29. Rodney Eiram Rodríguez-Rivera ($20,112)
30. Yoanelys Vázquez-González ($32,430)
31. Eluzay De Jesús-Acevedo ($17,376)
32. Luis Angel Crespo-Rivera ($33,162)

“The Justice Department remains committed to using every available federal tool to combat and prevent COVID-19 related fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “We will continue to hold accountable those who seek to exploit the pandemic for personal gain, to protect vulnerable populations, and to safeguard the integrity of taxpayer-funded programs.”

“This repeat violation is deeply concerning. It is clear that some individuals continue to exploit a worldwide crisis for personal gain by disregarding the law. We want to make it abundantly clear that this behavior will not be tolerated, now or ever,” stated Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office, Joseph González. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue all leads to ensure that these criminals face justice. If you or anyone you know has information about these crimes, I urge you to come forward by calling (787) 987-6500 or submitting a tip online at tips.FBI.gov. To those who have engaged in these fraudulent acts, I strongly advise you to come forward and cooperate with law enforcement before we take action against you.”

“An important part of the mission of the U.S Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of fraud involving pandemic-related unemployment insurance programs. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate these types of allegations,” stated Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent-in-Charge, Northeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.

“The 32 defendants charged are alleged to have collectively stolen close to a million dollars from the federal government by committing fraud in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance under the CARES Act. These charges are a reminder that fraud is not a victimless crime and individuals who attempt to commit fraud face significant penalties,” said Juan A. Vargas, Inspector in Charge, Miami Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service.  “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure the U.S. Mail is not utilized as a tool to defraud the government and taxpayers.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Anderson is in charge of the prosecution of these cases. If convicted, the defendants are facing the following sentences: up to 20 years of imprisonment for mail fraud; up to10 years of imprisonment for theft of government money; up to 5 years of imprisonment for misuse of a social security number; a fine of up to $250,000; and three years of supervised release. 

To report a COVID-19-related fraud scheme or suspicious activity, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) by calling the NCDF Hotline at 1-866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form

Indictments contain only charges and are not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On August 15, 2024, Melanie Cruz Clivilles was sentenced by United States District Court Judge María Antongiorgi-Jordan to 48 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for making false statements to a task force officer of the United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in relation to a criminal investigation.

Defendant Melanie Cruz Clivilles was the mother of 13-year-old female minor G.L.C.C. who died of a drug overdose in August of 2023 and had been brought by 26-year-old Bryan Xavier Pérez Hernández to the hospital. Bryan Xavier Pérez Hernández was charged with production of child exploitation material and drug trafficking in relation to the deceased minor.

According to court documents, Bryan Xavier Pérez Hernández attempted to induce, entice, and coerce 13-year-old female minor G.L.C.C., to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child exploitation material. Pérez Hernández was also charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to distribute cocaine, and distribution of cocaine to a minor. Pérez Hernández plead guilty on April 18, 2024, and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 20, 2024.

Melanie Cruz Clivilles, mother of G.L.C.C., was charged with lying to a federal law enforcement agent. Cruz Clivilles made a materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statement and representation by falsely stating to a Task Force Officer of the United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations that she first met Bryan Xavier Pérez Hernández at the hospital on August 4, 2023, where he arrived with defendant’s deceased daughter G.L.C.C.  The statement and representation was false because, as she then and there knew, she had met Pérez Hernández at the latest in July of 2023, and had been with him during a meeting on August 3, 2023.

U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Rebecca González-Ramos, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations made the announcement.

Homeland Security Investigations and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenifer Hernández Vega, Chief of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit prosecuted the case.

For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit https://www.ice.gov/topics/iGuardians; and to denounce suspicious activities call 787-729-6969.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Three individuals were arrested by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) on criminal charges related to child exploitation.

On Thursday, August 8, agents of the Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Taskforce arrested Eric Jonuel Collazo-Colón, 33 years old, from Orocovis, Puerto Rico.

A federal grand jury indicted Collazo-Colón on August 1, 2024, on four counts: (1) coercion and enticement of a minor, (2) sexual exploitation of children, (3) receipt of child exploitation material, and (4) transfer of obscene material.

According to court documents, from October 2023 through June 2024, the defendant used his computer, cellular phones, and internet social media applications to persuade and entice a female minor, between 14 and 15 years of age, to engage in sexual activity and sexually explicit conduct. During the same period, Collazo-Colón produced, received, and transmitted child exploitation material. He also transferred obscene material to the minor.

If convicted, the defendant faces a minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant US Attorney (AUSA) Jenifer Y. Hernández-Vega, Chief of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit, is prosecuting the case.

In a separate case, Jason Daniel Vargas, a 19-year-old man from Manatí was arrested on Thursday, August 8, 2024. A federal indictment was issued on August 7, 2024, against Vargas charging him with coercion and enticement of a minor and the transfer of obscene material to a minor.

According to the indictment, in March of 2023, the defendant knowingly used a cellular phone and iPad to induce an 11-year-old female minor to engage in sexual activity. Vargas also transferred obscene material to the minor.

If convicted, Vargas faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life imprisonment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

AUSA Daynelle Álvarez Lora of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit is prosecuting the case.

In a third case, Roberto Rosa Martínez, 39, from Bayamón, PR, was arrested on Thursday, August 8, 2024, for production of child pornography. According to the indictment filed on August 1, 2024, Rosa Martínez persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced a 13-year-old female minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct.

If convicted, Rosa Martínez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

AUSA Daynelle Álvarez Lora of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit is prosecuting the case.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to continuing our joint efforts with our state, local and federal partners to locate these offenders and ensure that they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.

“It is important for our society to understand the importance of protecting our children from predators. As we have stressed before, predators come in all shapes, they place themselves in positions of public trust, they find the perfect moment to prey. It is our responsibility to protect our children, to be vigilant, to give them the right tools so they can protect themselves,” said Rebecca González Ramos, Special Agent in Charge of HSI. “HSI’s main objective is to protect our children from those who attempt to exploit their innocence or misuse their position of trust to harm them. HSI will continue to pursue perpetrators tirelessly and ensure they face justice so our children can feel secure at school, in their homes, or wherever they may be. We also urge the public to say something if you see something, your collaboration is key in the fight against child exploitation in our island.”

For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit iGuardians™: Combating Child Predators  and to denounce suspicious activities call 787-729-6969.

For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from online sexual abuse, visit https://www.ice.gov/topics/iGuardians.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Today, a federal jury convicted Basilio Matías-Fajardo, an employee of the El Hipopótamo restaurant, for conspiracy to interfere with commerce through robbery, aiding and abetting in the interference with commerce through robbery, and aiding and abetting the use, carrying, and discharging of a firearm during and in furtherance of a crime of violence.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Matías-Fajardo, together with Geofley Jomar-Pérez, Luis Aulet-Maldonado, Luis Cabán-Nieves, Jospe Jomar Santos-Mercado, and Edwin Peña-Valdés conspired to rob El Hipopótamo restaurant. Evidence presented at trial established that Matías-Fajardo provided his co-conspirators key insider information about the inner workings of the restaurant to ensure that the robbery would be a success. Further, on the night of the armed robbery, Matías-Fajardo provided his co-conspirators with details about the closing procedures and employees inside the restaurant while the armed robbers were outside. Throughout the armed robbery, three victims were also kidnapped, and a firearm was discharged resulting in the death of one of the kidnap victims -- Jesús Francisco Pérez — a 15-year-old minor.

The other five co-defendants previously pleaded guilty and are pending sentencing.

“Today’s verdict is a direct result of the tireless efforts and outstanding work of the FBI, Puerto Rico Police Bureau, and federal prosecutors from the inception of the robbery and kidnapping,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow. “The jury’s verdict today underscores our commitment to bringing violent offenders to justice. The verdict does not, however, remove the pain and suffering of the victims of this crime, especially that caused by the senseless killing of a hard-working young man who was loved by his family.”

“Since October 2021 the FBI, along with the Police of Puerto Rico and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico, has worked tirelessly to bring to justice all the individuals responsible for the armed robbery and kidnapping that resulted in the death of a 15-year-old child,” said Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge, San Juan Field Office. “Although this result will never bring back the life lost, hopefully, it will bring all the victims a sense of peace and justice. The FBI remains steadfast with all those affected by these heinous acts.”

The FBI is investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Linet Suárez and Julian Radzinschi of the Violent Crime Division prosecuted the case. The sentencing hearing was scheduled for November 12, 2024, at 2 pm.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging Juan Carlos Peña-Luguera, 39, and Joshua Jandel Pérez-Lebrón, 20, with coercion and enticement of a minor, sex trafficking of minors, and receipt of child pornography. The FBI is in charge of the investigation and is seeking information from the public regarding these two individuals.

According to court documents, from July 2023 through December 2023, the defendants knowingly recruited, enticed, harbored, and solicited a male minor, between the ages of 16 and 17 years old, knowing and in reckless disregard of the fact that the male victim had not attained the age of 18 years, to engage in a commercial sex act. The defendants used cellular phones, as well as internet instant messaging services to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce the male minor to engage in sexual activity. In addition, Peña-Luguera and Pérez-Lebrón are charged with receipt of child exploitation material, that is, images and videos depicting a male minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct via an instant messaging application using a cellular telephone.

“Those who engage in child exploitation, including the sex trafficking of children and possession of child sexual abuse material, will be held accountable for their criminal conduct,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “The United States Attorney’s Office and law enforcement agencies will continue to take full advantage of our investigative tools and prosecution powers in order to protect our children from sexual predators. We want to remind the public to report all inappropriate behavior with children to their local authorities and together, local and federal law enforcement will see that justice is carried out.”

If you have been a victim of these subjects or know someone who may have been, call the FBI San Juan Field Office at 787-987-6500. We need the public to come forward, it is everyone’s responsibility to keep our children safe. 

“Sex trafficking of children is and will continue to be a priority for our office,” said Joseph González, Special Agent in charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “We want victims and their families to know that the FBI is here for them and will continue to pursue these cases aggressively. There is no place in our society for those who exploit our youth. Witnesses and victims can trust that we will protect them and that all available federal government resources will be at their disposal.”

If convicted, the defendants face the following possible sentences: a minimum of 10 years up to life in prison for enticement and coercion of a minor and sex trafficking charges, and not less than 5 years up to 20 years of imprisonment for the receipt of child pornography, followed by a term of supervised release of 5 years up to life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Daynelle Álvarez-Lora of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On July 31, 2024, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging Richard Ramos-Hernández, from Humacao, Puerto Rico, with bankruptcy fraud and false statement under penalty of perjury in a bankruptcy case, false statement on loan and credit applications, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.

According to court documents, from January 4, 2019, through May 20, 2024, defendant Richard Ramos-Hernández devised and executed a scheme to defraud creditors in a bankruptcy proceeding in the District of Puerto Rico by means of materially false and fraudulent representations, all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 152 and 157.

On January 4, 2019, Richard Ramos-Hernández filed and caused the filing of a voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 13 of the Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Puerto Rico, in the proceeding titled In re: RICHARD RAMOS HERNANDEZ, Case No. 19-00021(ESL).

The indictment alleges that during the bankruptcy proceedings, Ramos-Hernández concealed property and income and failed to disclose to the trustee charged with control of the debtor’s property and from the creditors and the United States the creation, operation, ownership, and control of All Market and Bakery LLC and Smart Energy General Contractors LLC.

All Market and Bakery LLC was a limited liability company registered on February 11, 2015, with the Puerto Rico Department of State and operated as an establishment in the Municipality of Humacao that produced and sold baked goods, food, beverages, and convenience related products.

Smart Energy General Contractors LLC was a limited liability company registered on June 12, 2018, with the Puerto Rico Department of State, that performed and provided construction related services to private and government clients. The defendant failed to disclose income received from Smart Energy General Contractors LLC, which had been awarded contracts with the municipalities of Canóvanas and Ceiba exceeding $800,000.

Additionally, Ramos-Hernández is charged with making false statements in relation to a $15,000 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1014. On April 30, 2020, Ramos-Hernández, on behalf of All Market and Bakery LLC, submitted a PPP loan application through a third party, which was approved and disbursed by May 11, 2020. The defendant knowingly used, without lawful authority, the name, address, and signature of a person with initials M.M.T. to submit the application for the PPP loan, therefore engaging in bank fraud and aggravated identity theft in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1028A and 1344.

If convicted, Ramos-Hernández may be sentenced to a maximum term of imprisonment of five years for each count under 18 U.S.C §§157 and 152 (Bankruptcy Fraud) and a fine of $250,000; a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years and a fine of $1,000,000 for violations of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1014 and 1344 (Bank Fraud); up to 30 years for false statement on loan and credit applications; and a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years of imprisonment for each aggravated identity theft count.

“The defendant used bankruptcy proceedings to defraud the United States Trustee Program and creditors to illegally benefit himself,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains vigilant in investigating bankruptcy-related fraud and appreciate the excellent work of the Office of the United States Trustee.”

“Together with U.S. Attorney Muldrow and our law enforcement partners, we will continue to pursue fraud and abuse in bankruptcy cases,” said U.S. Trustee Mary Ida Townson for Georgia, Florida, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands (Region 21).  “I am thankful for the appointment by the U.S. Attorney of two Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys from our San Juan office that will allow us to prosecute all those who engage in fraudulent conduct.” 

The U.S. Trustee Program is the component of the Justice Department that protects the integrity of the bankruptcy system by overseeing case administration and litigating to enforce the bankruptcy laws.

“Maintaining integrity in bankruptcy proceedings and ensuring eligibility for government benefits are essential to upholding the law and promoting fairness in our society,” stated Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office. “It is crucial that individuals are truthful in these matters to maintain the integrity of the system and ensure that resources go where they are truly needed. We ask that anyone with information on bankruptcy -or any other fraud scheme- report it by leaving a tip online through tips.fbi.gov or calling 787-987-6500. Here in the FBI we are committed to bringing consequences upon those who insist on mocking our system.”

This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney José Capó Iriarte and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney José C. Díaz Vega from the Office of the U.S. Trustee. 

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned a 14-count indictment on July 18, 2024, charging eight individuals with drug trafficking, conspiracy to provide contraband in prison, and conspiracy to commit identity theft.

According to court documents, from in or about July of 2023 and continuing up to and until on or about May 22, 2024, the defendants conspired to provide Buprenorphine (Suboxone), ketamine, and fentanyl to inmates housed at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC), a federal detention facility in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, by introducing envelopes purporting to be legal mail. The defendants are:

(1) José J. Rodríguez-Cumba, a/k/a “Chambi”,

(2) Richard Cruz-Monzón,

(3) Yarelis I. Colón-Ríos,

(4) Yarushka M. De León-Acosta, a/k/a “La Secretaria”,

(5) Edwin D. González-Reyes, a/k/a “Cotto”,

(6) José J. López-Pellot,

(7) Christina M. Rodríguez-Cumba, a/k/a “Nani”, and

(8) Selena Crespo-Dumeng.

All defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, one count of conspiracy to provide contraband in prison, and one count of conspiracy to commit identity theft. Six defendants are facing aggravated identity theft charges.

“This case should send a clear message to those who attempt to smuggle illegal contraband into a federal facility that we will investigate and prosecute this criminal activity,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.

“Through our joint enforcement efforts, we’ve dismantled a criminal organization that utilized the mail to supply drugs to federal and state prisons,” said Juan A. Vargas, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Miami Division.  “Postal Inspectors will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and hold those accountable who maliciously utilize the U.S. mail system.”

“Contraband in correctional institutions continues to be a significant threat. Exposure to narcotics, specifically fentanyl, can cause immediate death to inmates and correctional staff alike,” said Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge, FBI San Juan Field Office. “We are committed to working with our Federal and State law enforcement partners to mitigate this threat and ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice”.

If convicted on the drug trafficking charges, the defendants face up to twenty years in prison, that is, ten years for possession of fentanyl in prison; five years for attempting to provide Buprenorphine in prison; five years for conspiracy to provide contraband in prison. The defendants are also facing a maximum sentence of twenty years for conspiracy to commit identity theft, as well as a mandatory minimum consecutive sentence of two years for aggravated identity theft. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Miami Division and the FBI are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Gang Section Alberto López-Rocafort; Deputy Chief of the Gang Section, AUSA Teresa Zapata-Valladares; and AUSAs R. Vance Eaton and Carlos J. Romo-Aledo are in charge of the prosecution of the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On July 17, 2024, a federal grand jury returned a 17-count indictment charging Juan Carlos Cruz-Hernández, Verónica Forte-Roig, Nancy Báez-Flores, and Josselyn Figueroa-Rosario with participating in a bribery and wire fraud conspiracy and scheme to defraud the Puerto Rico Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTOP), announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. Three of the defendants were arrested today and will have their initial appearances before United States Magistrate Judge Marcos E. López of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. Defendant Báez-Flores is pending arrest.

According to court documents, defendants Nancy Báez-Flores and Josselyn Figueroa-Rosario were employees of DTOP assigned to work in the regional driver service centers (CESCO) located in Caguas and Carolina, Puerto Rico. Both were responsible for accessing driver and vehicle information, and among other things, possessed the ability to remove driver and vehicle fines. Defendants Juan Carlos Cruz-Hernández and Verónica Forte-Roig negotiated and made bribe payments to Nancy Báez-Flores and Josselyn Figueroa-Rosario in exchange for certain official acts, including accessing DTOP-CESCO information, obtaining duplicate documentation, and eliminating driver and vehicle fines. 

From November 2018 to October 2023, Nancy Báez-Flores received over $62,000 in bribe payments from Juan Carlos Cruz-Hernández and Verónica Forte-Roig. From April 2019 to June 2023, Josselyn Figueroa-Rosario received over $7,000 in bribe payments from Juan Carlos Cruz-Hernández and Verónica Forte-Roig. Many of the bribe payments were made directly to Báez-Flores and Figueroa-Rosario via ATH-Móvil.

“The prosecution of public corruption offenses, at all levels of the government, remains a priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The bribery of government employees corrodes the public’s trust in vital institutions and will not be tolerated. Not at the municipal, commonwealth, or federal level,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “This indictment and today’s arrests reflect another step in the continued focus of the United States Attorney’s Office to bring criminals who engage in illegal bribery schemes to justice.”

“HSI is committed to investigate money laundering activities that pose a threat to our economy. It is imperative to prioritize any type of public corruption that facilitates crimes. These employees do not represent the dedicated employees of the government of Puerto Rico,” said Rebecca González-Ramos, Special Agent in Charge of HSI San Juan. “This investigation was made possible with the support of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau and the Puerto Rico Department of Transportation.”

If convicted, a maximum penalty of five years in prison applies to a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, a maximum penalty of ten years in prison applies for each violation of 18 U.S.C. § 666(a)(2) and (a)(1)(B), and a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison applies for each violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343, 1346, 1349. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

This case was investigated by the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie Christine Amy is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Two individuals were sentenced by United States District Court Judge Silvia Carreño Coll for their roles in a bank fraud conspiracy which resulted in the theft of $526,797.  Carmelo Santiago-Santiago was sentenced to 33 months (two years and nine months) in prison and a supervised release term of five years. Efraín Delgado-Rodríguez was sentenced to 30 months (two years and six months) in prison and a supervised release term of five years. Both were ordered to pay a restitution of $526,797.  Santiago-Santiago previously pleaded guilty on November 30, 2023, and Delgado-Rodríguez pleaded guilty on December 1, 2023.

According to court documents, from May 2017 to October 2019 Carmelo Santiago-Santiago and Efraín Delgado-Rodríguez conspired with each other to execute a bank fraud scheme to obtain money held by Company A, an insurance company located in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Carmelo Santiago-Santiago worked at Company A since 2016 as an accountant overseeing matters related to accounts’ reconciliation and closing journal entries. Due to his position, he had access to Company A’s accounting information, including outstanding checks and unpaid vendors. Efraín Delgado-Rodríguez was the President of Fast Contractors LLC, a general construction company in Puerto Rico.

The defendants used Santiago-Santiago’s position within Company A to create false and fraudulent checks using the check numbers of outstanding checks and voided checks originally issued to legitimate vendors and service providers of Company A. To illegally divert the funds to themselves, the defendants changed the name of payees and made fraudulent checks payable to Delgado-Rodríguez and Fast Contractors LLC using Company A’s bank account information. Once the false checks were deposited, funds were then transferred and shared with Santiago-Santiago. The fraudulent checks were created and negotiated without the knowledge or consent of Company A. The defendants’ conspiracy and scheme to defraud involved approximately $526,767 in actual losses.

U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge for the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie Christine Amy prosecuted the case.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The last defendant prosecuted in the case for drug trafficking, firearms violations and various murders, including the murder of banker Maurice Spagnoletti, was sentenced to 180 months (15 years) in prison and eight years of supervised release. Alex Burgos-Amaro pleaded guilty to Count one and two of the indictment on December 27, 2023.

On June 5, the following three individuals were sentenced to life in prison:

Luis Carmona-Bernacet, a.k.a. “Canito Cumbre” was sentenced to life in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence resulting in the murder of William Castro-Vidot.

Yadiel Serrano-Canales, a.k.a. “Motombo” was sentenced to life in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence resulting in the murder of Maurice Spagnoletti.

Rolando Rivera-Solis was sentenced to life in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence resulting in the murder of Maurice Spagnoletti.

On March 11, 2024, Alan Lugo-Montalvo was sentenced to 360 months (30 years) in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and Fabiany Almestica-Monge was sentenced to 540 months (45 years) in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. All defendants were convicted by a jury on May 11, 2023.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, since the year 2000 and continuing up to 2014, in the municipalities of San Juan, Trujillo Alto, Guaynabo, and Bayamón, the defendants were members of an enterprise engaged in murder and drug trafficking.

On May 11, 2023, four defendants were found guilty of using firearms during and in relation to drug trafficking crimes.  One defendant was found guilty with counseling, commanding, inducing and procuring each other to carry a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and in the course of that crime, causing the death of William Castro on December 30, 2002. In regard to the murder of Maurice Spagnoletti, defendants Serrano-Canales and Rivera-Solis aided and abetted each other with counseling, commanding, inducing and procuring each other to carry a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and in the course of that crime, causing the death of Maurice Spagnoletti.

“The successful prosecution of the defendants’ heinous crimes was the result of exhaustive investigative work by our state and federal law enforcement partners,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “The sentences imposed send a message that the U.S. justice system remains a powerful tool to bring perpetrators of violent crime to justice and closure to victims’ families.”

“It has been a long and arduous investigative and judicial process and these sentencings serve as a testament to the undying dedication of the FBI agents, prosecutors, police officers, and all the brave citizens who worked together to ensure justice was served,” said Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office. “We continue to stand steadfastly with the victims’ loved ones and thank the US Attorney’s Office for believing in the case and fighting alongside us to bring justice to these grieving families.”

The FBI investigated the case with the assistance of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly Zenón-Matos, Alberto López-Rocafort, Victor O. Acevedo-Hernández, and Gregory Conner prosecuted the case.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A citizen from the country of Romania was extradited from the United Kingdom to Puerto Rico to face charges of identity theft and fraud. On September 21, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a 12-count indictment charging Vlad Terebes with conspiracy to commit identity theft; aggravated identity theft; conspiracy to commit access device trafficking in a counterfeit access device; trafficking in device-making equipment; and bank fraud. Terebes was extradited on Friday, May 31, 2024.

According to court documents, defendant Vlad Terebes and other co-conspirators acquired and then installed access device skimming equipment in the form of a card reader used to obtain information from credit and debit card transactions at several large retail stores in Manatí, Canóvanas, Caguas, and Carolina, Puerto Rico.

From on or about March 8, 2022, to on or about March 13, 2022, defendant Vlad Terebes and other co-conspirators obtained credit and debit card numbers, names, and personal identifying information of approximately 1,215 customers from the large retail stores in Manatí, Caguas, Canóvanas, and Carolina, and attempted to obtain approximately $20,421 in funds from the unsuspecting customers’ bank accounts held by a financial institution in Puerto Rico. As a result of the investigation conducted by the United States Secret Service, Terebes was identified and ultimately apprehended in the United Kingdom on February 2, 2024 at the request of the United States.

“Financial fraud is one of the largest challenges facing American citizens and businesses today. Prevention and prosecution of crimes of this nature will remain a top priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and we will not be deterred by individuals who attempt to flee from prosecution. In coordination with the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, we remain committed to the arrest and extradition of those who commit crimes in Puerto Rico,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.

The defendant made his initial court appearance yesterday, June 3, 2024, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marcos E. López for the District of Puerto Rico and was ordered detained. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a mandatory consecutive sentence of at least two years for each aggravated identity theft charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Terebes from the United Kingdom. The United States also thanks United Kingdom law enforcement authorities for their valuable assistance in securing Terebes’ extradition. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie Christine Amy is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging Aaron Scott Byrns, 46, of Aguadilla, PR, for child exploitation.

According to court documents, from December 15, 2023, through on or about April 15, 2024, Aaron Scott Byrns, using a cellular phone, produced, and attempted to produce images of female minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, to include the lascivious exhibition of the genital area. The defendant captured and attempted to capture these images of the private areas of the female minors without their consent at a federal school campus.  

Aaron Scott Byrns is facing one count of production of child pornography; one count for possession of child pornography; and one count of video voyeurism.

The defendant had his initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Giselle López-Soler of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto. The detention/bail hearing is scheduled for Thursday, May 30, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. If convicted for the charges of production of child pornography the defendant faces up to 30 years in prison; for possession of child pornography, he faces up to 10 years; both followed by a term of supervised release of no less than 5 years up to life; and for video voyeurism he faces up to one year in prison; followed by a term of up to one year of supervised release. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office, and Rebecca González Ramos, Special Agent in Charge of HSI San Juan made the announcement.

The FBI is investigating the case with the collaboration of the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Assistant US Attorney (AUSA) Emelina Agrait Barreto of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit is prosecuting the case.

Tips and information assist the FBI and its federal, state, and local law enforcement partners. Citizens with information about this or any other federal crime are asked to contact the FBI San Juan Field Office at 787-987-6500, or to submit tips through the FBI’s internet complaint portal at Tips.FBI.gov.

For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from online sexual abuse, visit https://www.ice.gov/topics/iGuardians; and to report suspicious activities call 787-729-6969.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On May 22, 2024, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging 60 gang members from the municipality of Ponce with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, possession and distribution of controlled substances, and firearms violations, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. This investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB), Ponce Strike Force, with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico National Guard Counterdrug Program, the U.S.  Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), CBP Air and Marine Operations, U.S. Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC), the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Puerto Rico Department of Treasury (Hacienda).

“Too many lives have been lost because of drug trafficking and the violence it causes. This indictment demonstrates our shared commitment to protect our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “This is the third multi-defendant gang takedown this month and underscores the unyielding resolve of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in Puerto Rico to bring violent offenders to justice.”

“Guns, violence, drugs, and murders are the day to day of this organization. Ponce residents deserve peace, and our children deserve to play in a street free of drugs. HSI is committed to our community, and we will not tolerate this violent behavior in our island,” said Rebecca González Ramos, Special Agent in Charge of HSI.

“Today marks a pivotal moment in our ongoing efforts to dismantle violent drug trafficking organizations that threaten the safety and well-being of our communities. The arrest of approximately 60 individuals is a testament to the unwavering dedication and collaboration of federal and local law enforcement agencies,” said Denise Foster, Special Agent in Charge of DEA. “This operation not only disrupts a major criminal network, but also underscores our commitment to bringing justice and safety to the people of Ponce. We will continue to leverage our combined resources and expertise to combat drug trafficking and ensure the security of all our citizens.”

The indictment alleges that from 2016, the drug trafficking organization distributed cocaine base (commonly known as “crack”), heroin, cocaine, marijuana, and fentanyl within 1,000 feet of the Arístides Chavier Arévalo, Ernesto Ramos Antonini, Dr. Manuel de la Pila, Ponce Housing and Hogares de Portugués Public Housing Projects (PHPs), and other areas in and nearby the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico, all for significant financial gain and profit. The object of the conspiracy was the large-scale distribution of controlled substances and to distribute the same in street quantities amounts at their drug distribution points. Some of these narcotics would be sent illegally by mail to the continental United States using the U.S. Postal Service.

The investigation revealed that during the conspiracy the defendants and their co-conspirators would use force, violence, including murder and intimidation, against rival drug trafficking organizations and to discipline members of their own drug trafficking organization. Members of the organization would go to “war” with rival gangs, which included retaliatory shooting incidents that, at times, resulted in injuries and death.

The defendants acted in different roles to further the goals of the drug trafficking conspiracy, including as leaders, owners, enforcers, runners, sellers, and facilitators. The members of the gang used force, violence, and intimidation to maintain control of the areas in which they operated. Twenty defendants are facing one charge of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The defendants charged in the indictment are:

[1] Armando L. Alicea-Santiago, a.k.a. “La Mami/Ñañito”

[2] José A. Custodio-Colón, a.k.a. “Gilligan/El Viejo”

[3] Christopher Román-Medina, a.k.a. “Keke”

[4] Armando Ortiz-Meléndez, a.k.a. “Yokain”

[5] Nestor Murray-Valentino, a.k.a. “Valentino”

[6] Nicky Cosme-Rivera, a.k.a. “Mellao”

[7] Héctor Pacheco-Figueras, a.k.a. “La H”

[8] Joshua Almodóvar, a.k.a. “Mamaito”

[9] Orlando Coimbre-Echevarría, a.k.a. “Orlandito”

[10] Giovanni Vargas-Maldonado, a.k.a. “Jova/La J”

[11] Jon Alvarado-Hernández, a.k.a. “Jacob”

[12] Raymond Torres-Zayas, a.k.a. “Macho”

[13] Eduardo Aponte Torres, a.k.a. “Edu/Menor/Bubu”

[14] Luis Laboy-Nadal, a.k.a. “Marlon/Mailon”

[15] Juan Limardo-Meléndez, a.k.a. “Jonny”

[16] José Méndez-Morales, a.k.a. “Hugo Boss/Gordo”

[17] Bryant Santiago-Ramírez, a.k.a. “Bryant”

[18] Edgargo Caraballo-Echevarría, a.k.a. “La J”

[19] Jomar Irrizarry-Sarriera

[20] Norberto Martinez-Castro, A/K/A Berto/Bertito/Enano,

[21] Eduardo Negron-Perez, A/K/A Bebo,

[22] Adam Maldonado-Santuche,

[23] José Vázquez-Vargas, a.k.a. “Gordo Janet”

[24] Kelvin Almodóvar-Toro, a.k.a. “Calvo”

[25] Jaime Padilla-Gómez, a.k.a. “Jimito”

[26] Rafael Alers-Ortiz, a.k.a. “Memin”

[27] José A. Custodio-Flores, a.k.a. “Gele”

[28] Jai López-Díaz, a.k.a. “Chai”

[29] Luis J. Alvarado-De La Cruz, a.k.a. “Joel”

[30] Joshua Rodríguez-Cortez, a.k.a. “Medusa/Versace”

[31] Vilma J. Vázquez-Vargas, a.k.a. “Janet”

[32] Jay Pages-Pacheco

[33] Héctor J. Orengo-Torres, a.k.a. “Javi”

[34] Ramón Echevarría-Caraballo, a.k.a. “Árabe”

[35] José Rodríguez-Casiano, a.k.a. “Jon Z”

[36] William González-Maldonado, a.k.a. “Casqui”

[37] Miguel Ortiz-González, a.k.a. “Saca Mostro”

[38] Jonathan Vázquez-Bota, a.k.a. “Mama Deo/Jona”

[39] Wilson Berríos-Flores, a.k.a. “Panda”

[40] Neftaly Rivera-Santiago, a.k.a. “Taly”

[41] Miguel Alexander-Báez, a.k.a. “Yoyo”

[42] Kevin Cosme-Rivera

[43] Josué Pérez-Torres, a.k.a. “Aguja”

[44] Ángel Santana-Pacheco, a.k.a. “Goldo”

[45] William Ramos-Rivera, a.k.a. “Willy”

[46] Alexis Aponte-Negrón

[47] Coral González-Bacenet

[48] Anthony Limardo-Mercado, a.k.a. “Mariachi”

[49] Arturo De Lahongrais-Emmanuelli

[50] Silverio Yoguez-Mercado, a.k.a. “Gringo”

[51] Jovelyn Marquez-Ruiz, a.k.a. “La Flaca”

[52] Manuel Alicea-Alicea, a.k.a. “Alicea”

[53] Wanda Vargas-Álvarez

[54] Jaime Méndez-Ortiz, a.k.a. Jimmy

[55] Ángel Mercado-Acabeo, a.k.a. “Cano/Canito”

[56] Ilia Martínez-Pagán, a.k.a. “Coral/Charlot”

[57] Jayson Camacho-Rodríguez

[58] María Mercado-Crespo, a.k.a. “Luly”

[59] Jadira Báez-Flores

[60] José Cambrelen-Pabón, a.k.a. “Buba”

Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Gang Section Alberto López-Rocafort; Deputy Chief of the Gang Section, AUSA Teresa Zapata-Valladares; AUSAs R. Vance Eaton and Héctor Siaca Flores are in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted on the drug charges, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years, and up to life in prison. If convicted of both the drug and firearms charges in Count Seven, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 15 years, and up to life in prison. All defendants are facing a narcotics forfeiture allegation of $123,662,000.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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WASHINGTON – A Puerto Rico legislator and her husband were sentenced today for engaging in a multi-year theft, bribery, and kickback conspiracy scheme to fraudulently inflate the salary of a legislative assistant in exchange for a portion of the assistant’s inflated salary.

María Milagros Charbonier-Laureano, also known as Tata, a member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives, was sentenced to eight years in prison. Her husband, Orlando Montes-Rivera, was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, from early 2017 until July 2020, Charbonier-Laureano, her husband, and her assistant, Frances Acevedo-Ceballos, executed a scheme to defraud the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico by engaging in a theft, bribery, and kickback scheme. Over the course of the scheme, Charbonier-Laureano inflated Acevedo-Ceballos’ salary from $800 on a bi-weekly, after-tax basis to nearly $2,900. Out of every inflated paycheck, it was agreed that Acevedo-Ceballos would keep a portion and kick back approximately $1,500 to Charbonier-Laureano and Montes-Rivera.

After learning of the investigation into illegal activities in her office and of a warrant that had been obtained for one of her phones, Charbonier-Laureano proceeded to delete certain data on the phone. In particular, Charbonier-Laureano deleted nearly all call log entries, WhatsApp messages, and iMessages associated with the phone. 

The jury convicted Charbonier-Laureano and Montes-Rivera in January of one count of conspiracy; two counts of theft, bribery, and kickbacks concerning programs receiving federal funds; six counts of honest services wire fraud; and two counts of money laundering. The jury also convicted Charbonier-Laureano of obstruction of justice for destroying data on her cell phone. 

Acevedo-Ceballos, who pleaded guilty to bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, was sentenced in February to three years and one month in prison. 

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico; and Special Agent in Charge Joseph Gonzalez of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Jonathan E. Jacobson and Kathryn E. Fifield of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney María L. Montañez Concepción for the District of Puerto Rico prosecuted the case.

A Puerto Rico legislator and her husband were sentenced today for engaging in a multi-year theft, bribery, and kickback conspiracy scheme to fraudulently inflate the salary of a legislative assistant in exchange for a portion of the assistant’s inflated salary.

María Milagros Charbonier-Laureano, also known as Tata, a member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives, was sentenced to eight years in prison. Her husband, Orlando Montes-Rivera, was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, from early 2017 until July 2020, Charbonier-Laureano, her husband, and her assistant, Frances Acevedo-Ceballos, executed a scheme to defraud the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico by engaging in a theft, bribery, and kickback scheme. Over the course of the scheme, Charbonier-Laureano inflated Acevedo-Ceballos’ salary from $800 on a bi-weekly, after-tax basis to nearly $2,900. Out of every inflated paycheck, it was agreed that Acevedo-Ceballos would keep a portion and kick back approximately $1,500 to Charbonier-Laureano and Montes-Rivera.

After learning of the investigation into illegal activities in her office and of a warrant that had been obtained for one of her phones, Charbonier-Laureano proceeded to delete certain data on the phone. In particular, Charbonier-Laureano deleted nearly all call log entries, WhatsApp messages, and iMessages associated with the phone.

The jury convicted Charbonier-Laureano and Montes-Rivera in January of one count of conspiracy; two counts of theft, bribery, and kickbacks concerning programs receiving federal funds; six counts of honest services wire fraud; and two counts of money laundering. The jury also convicted Charbonier-Laureano of obstruction of justice for destroying data on her cell phone.

Acevedo-Ceballos, who pleaded guilty to bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, was sentenced in February to three years and one month in prison.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico; and Special Agent in Charge Joseph Gonzalez of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI San Juan Field Office investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Jonathan E. Jacobson and Kathryn E. Fifield of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney María L. Montañez Concepción for the District of Puerto Rico prosecuted the case.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On May 8, 2024, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging 30 violent gang members from the municipalities of San Juan, Trujillo Alto, Aibonito, and Loíza with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, possession and distribution of controlled substances, and firearms violations, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB), San Juan Strike Force, with the collaboration of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

“By arresting and prosecuting these defendants, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and its law enforcement partners are working to uphold the rule of law and bring to justice violent offenders who terrorize our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “The Department of Justice is committed to dismantling violent criminal organizations, holding gang members accountable, and pursuing justice for victims.”

“In the face of adversity, our resolve strengthens”, stated DEA Caribbean Division Special Agent in Charge Denise Foster. “Together, with unwavering determination and steadfast collaboration, we will dismantle these drug trafficking organizations that threaten our communities and tarnish the fabric of our society. Our commitment to justice knows no bounds, and we will relentlessly pursue those responsible for perpetuating violence and addiction. We stand united, resolute in our mission to safeguard the safety and well-being of all.”

The indictment alleges that from in or about 2012 through the date of the indictment, the drug trafficking organization identified as “Los Elite” distributed heroin, cocaine base (commonly known as “crack”), cocaine, marijuana, fentanyl, Tramadol, and Clonazepam within 1,000 feet of the Jardines de Sellés Public Housing Project (PHP), Nuestra Señora Covadonga PHP, Quintana PHP, Trébol Condominiums, Liborio Ortiz PHP, and areas near those locations, all for significant financial gain and profit.

The goal of Los Elite was to control of all the drug trafficking activities within the municipalities of San Juan, Trujillo Alto, Aibonito, and Loíza, and areas nearby using force, threats, violence, and intimidation. In preserving power and protecting territory, the members of Los Elite profited from the illegal distribution of narcotics, including transportation to and distribution of kilogram quantities of cocaine in the continental United States. Additionally, members of Los Elite would ship fentanyl and marijuana from the continental United States to Puerto Rico for distribution at their drug points in the Island.

The investigation revealed that during the conspiracy the defendants and their co‑conspirators participated in acts of violence and shootings to secure their drug trafficking operations. The defendants and their co-conspirators would sometimes use bullet proof vests to protect themselves when they participated in acts of violence, and modified firearms to convert them to automatic weapons (machineguns). Also, defendants and their co‑conspirators would mail pieces of firearms or entire firearms from the continental United States to other members of the drug trafficking organization in Puerto Rico.

The defendants acted in different roles to further the goals of the drug trafficking conspiracy, including as leaders, suppliers, drug point owners, enforcers, runners, sellers, lookouts, and facilitators. The defendants would communicate using cell phones, often via messaging apps and social media (including, but not limited to, WhatsApp and Instagram). The defendants promoted themselves, their narcotics, their firearms, their money, and their drug trafficking organization using social media. These social media communications included discussions about the sale of narcotics and about firearms.

The 30 defendants charged in the indictment are:

[1] Pedro A. Rosado-Garay, a.k.a. “Finito/Fino/Fi”
[2] Josué Benito Sánchez-González, a.k.a. “Bore”
[3] Juan Daniel Sierra-Jiménez, a.k.a. “Wiwi/Doble U”
[4] Sergio Luis Rivera-Álvarez, a.k.a. “Zurdo”
[5] Victor Alfonso Rosario-Clemente, a.k.a. “Calvo/Tato”
[6] Jose Domingo Irizarry-Serrano
[7] Héctor Manuel Miranda-Rivera, a.k.a. “Do/Tito”
[8] David Antonio Tejada-Rosado, a.k.a. “Mudito/Mudo”
[9] Edwin Gabriel Vázquez-Colón, a.k.a. “Cuco”
[10] Rey Ivan Freytes, a.k.a. “Pana Mío”
[11] Francisco Miguel Duluc-Méndez, a.k.a. “Franco/Frankini”
[12] Rufino Hernández-Pizarro, a.k.a. “Gallero”
[13] Eduardo Berríos-Sepúlveda, a.k.a. “Kiko/Chavo del 8”
[14] Orville Báez-Maldonado, a.k.a. “Perry”
[15] Joffren Odete Santos-Rivera
[16] Yan Omar López-Machuca, a.k.a. “Bebo/John Zeta”
[17] Luis Ángel Rivera-Díaz, a.k.a. “Bebillo”
[18] Xavier Omar Maldonado-Negroni, a.k.a. “Maña”
[19] Michael Rivera-Cariño, a.k.a. “Movie”
[20] Héctor Alberto Sarriera-Marín, a.k.a. “Albert/Culón/Kardashian”
[21] Melvin Martínez-Vélez, a.k.a. “Tío”
[22] Raúl O. Matos-De Jesús, a.k.a. “Pechu”
[23] Yomar Gabriel Rivera-Hernández, a.k.a. “Yomar Gabriel Hernández/El Ninja”
[24] Ernesto Caraballo-Brooks, a.k.a. “Mullo”
[25] José Omar Aguayo-Delgado
[26] Sem Monge-Parrilla, a.k.a. “Jordan/23”
[27] Luis Alexis Guerrero-López, a.k.a. “Trunky”
[28] Jesus Antonio Carrión-Narváez, a.k.a. “Tomate/Motora”
[29] Marcelino Delgado-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Marcelo”
[30] Emilio Rodríguez-Guzmán, a.k.a. “Barba/A”

Twenty defendants are facing one charge of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and five of those defendants are facing one count of possession of a machinegun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Gang Section Alberto López-Rocafort; Deputy Chief of the Gang Section, AUSA Teresa Zapata-Valladares; and AUSA Joseph Russell are prosecuting the case. If convicted on the drug charges, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, and up to life in prison. If convicted of both the drug trafficking and the firearms charges in Count Seven, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, and up to life in prison. The defendants charged with possession of machineguns in furtherance of drug trafficking in Count Eight face a mandatory sentence of thirty years in prison to be served consecutive to any sentence imposed on the drug trafficking charges. All defendants are facing a narcotics forfeiture allegation of $67,191,390 that represent the proceeds generated from their illegal drug trafficking activities.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On Thursday, May 9, 2024, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging four Dominican nationals with smuggling wildlife from the United States and Lacey Act trafficking, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.

According to court documents, on or about May 3, 2024, defendants Frankluis Carela De Jesús, Waner Balbuena, Juan Graviel Ramírez Cedano, and Domingo Heureau Altagracia traveled together in a flagless vessel departing from San Juan, Puerto Rico to the Dominican Republic. The purpose of the travel was to smuggle various species of tropical birds to the Dominican Republic for financial gain. When the vessel was approximately 30 nautical miles north of Puerto Rico the United States Coast Guard (USCG) approached the vessel, witnessed the crew throwing objects overboard, stopped the vessel, and boarded the vessel. A number of the objects thrown overboard were successfully recovered by the USCG from the ocean waters and were identified as wood cages containing tropical birds.

 Crates where birds were transported.

A total of approximately one hundred thirteen (113) deceased birds, depicted in the indictment, were recovered from the ocean inside the wood cages jettisoned by the defendants. The defendants lacked any license to export the wildlife and failed to declare the tropical birds as required by federal regulations governing the exportation of wildlife.

Deceased birds recovered from the ocean.

“The defendants violated laws protecting tropical birds and regulating the international sale and exportation of wildlife.  When confronted by law enforcement, the defendants tried to cover up those crimes by killing the protected birds by throwing them into the sea while still in their wooden crates,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “I commend the excellent collaboration of the prosecutors and our law enforcement partners who remain steadfast in their commitment to protecting our wildlife.”

“This successful apprehension of four smugglers highlights the unwavering resolve of Coast Guard Sector San Juan, we work daily to interdict a wide range of illicit activities in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands,” said Captain José Díaz, Commander of U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Juan. “Unfortunately, the cruelty displayed by the smugglers in this case resulted in the loss of over 100 exotic birds. We will not stop in our commitment to control illicit trafficking in our region.”

“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will work tirelessly to investigate brazen attempts to smuggle exotic birds from Puerto Rico,” said Edward Grace, Assistant Director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement.  “Thanks to the quick actions of the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the four smugglers were caught before successfully concealing their crimes and evading capture. Their decision to recklessly jettison smuggled birds and other evidence from their vessel resulted in the death of numerous exotic birds.  This case underscores the cruel reality of the illegal wildlife trade and our commitment to vigorously pursue those engaged in wildlife trafficking. We will continue working towards fully prosecuting these criminals to the fullest extent of the law.”

“As part of our ongoing efforts to safeguard our borders and protect our communities, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) remains steadfast in our commitment to deterring smuggling activities of all kinds, including the reprehensible trade in wildlife,” indicated Christopher Hunter, Director of CBP Air and Marine Operations in the Caribbean. “AMO is dedicated to working collaboratively with our domestic and international partners to combat wildlife smuggling and uphold the rule of law.”

The defendants had their arraignment and detention hearings today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marcos E. López of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico and three were ordered detained pending trial. Domingo Heureau-Altagracia was placed on home confinement. If convicted, they face a total maximum of fifteen years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the United States Coast Guard, and Customs and Border Protection are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth A. Erbe, Environmental Litigation Coordinator is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Trial Counsel Patrick Duggan of the U.S. Department of Justice Environmental Crimes Section.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On April 25, 2024, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging Aldrin Manuel Lara-Martínez with conspiracy to kill persons in a foreign country and the discharging of firearms in furtherance of a crime of violence, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney of the District of Puerto Rico.

According to court documents, the government alleges that on August 16, 2023, Lara-Martínez arranged to rent a car in the Dominican Republic. On August 18, 2023, Lara-Martínez flew from Logan International Airport, in Massachusetts to Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic. On August 20, 2023, in the early morning hours, two men and one woman left a night club located on Fabio Herrera Venue and went to the fast-food place called “El Campa Berguer Meat.”  While they were stopped at a traffic light, the car that Lara-Martínez had rented pulled up and Lara-Martínez opened fire into their vehicle.  Two victims died as the result of gunshot wounds, and one individual suffered gunshot wounds.  

On August 22, 2023, the Office of the Judicial Services in the Dominican Republic issued an arrest warrant for Lara-Martínez.  The Arrest Warrant sought to bring Lara-Martínez before a court in the Dominican Republic for the murder of two individuals in the Dominican Republic.  

As part of the search for Lara-Martínez in the Dominican Republic—Dominican Republic law enforcement created a wanted poster with Lara-Martínez’ photograph that was distributed in an effort to apprehend Lara-Martínez.  In addition, to the wanted posters, Dominican Republic law enforcement conducted a large-scale manhunt for Lara-Martínez. Not only was this a law enforcement effort but multiple news outlets picked up the story of Lara-Martínez arrest warrant for murder and his status as a fugitive. Shortly after the alleged murder and the issuing of the arrest warrant—Lara-Martínez took extreme measures and an irregular means of transportation to enter the United States—and traveled on a yola type vessel with undocumented migrants in an attempt to enter the United States at a place other than a designated port of entry—where he would have not have to pass through customs and passport control.

On September 29, 2023, Lara-Martínez was arrested by U.S. Coast Guard personnel after he jumped off the yola type vessel that was transporting Lara-Martínez and others to Puerto Rico. Lara-Martínez was then charged with federal offenses relating to the failure to comply with the orders of the Coast Guard. Following Lara-Martínez’ indictment with this case, the United States dismissed those other pending charges.

The defendant had his detention hearing today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Héctor Ramos Vega of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico and has been ordered detained pending trial. If convicted of Count Two alone, the Defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten-years imprisonment with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. If convicted of Count One Lara-Martínez faces a statutory maximum penalty of life imprisonment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The US Coast Guard Investigative Services is investigating the case, with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Max Pérez-Bouret, Ryan McCabe, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Helena B. Daniel from the Transnational Organized Crime Unit are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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Note: The release has been edited to reflect words that were omitted from the Attorney General’s quote. 

On April 24, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging 62 violent gang members from Arecibo, Puerto Rico, with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, possession and distribution of controlled substances, and firearms violations.

“Thanks to the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), FBI, U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and our state and local partners, more than 60 alleged gang members have been charged and over $72 million in drugs have been seized in this operation,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The residents of public housing projects deserve better than to be terrorized by violent drug trafficking gangs, and the Justice Department will be relentless in our efforts to dismantle the gangs that fuel violent crime and profit from poisoning our communities.”

“The allegations in today’s indictments tell a scary story about gang violence in these public housing communities,” said ATF Director Steven Dettelbach. “For all the innocent residents who are trying to raise healthy families in safe communities, law enforcement wants you to know that we are here for you. Living in public housing cannot, and should not, mean being subjected to an atmosphere of gun violence and drug dealing around you and your family. ATF’s number one priority is getting the worst criminals — the trigger pullers and drug dealers — off the streets. When rival gangs declare war on each other in the streets in any city, it is the innocent bystanders that suffer the greatest consequences. I want to commend all the ATF agents and our federal and local partners who worked tirelessly to make Arecibo and all of Puerto Rico a safer place.”

“The arrests in this case underscore the resolve of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and its law enforcement partners to uphold the rule of law and bring to justice violent criminals who threaten our communities,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico. “The Justice Department remains steadfast in its commitment to dismantle criminal organizations, hold gang members accountable, and pursue justice for victims.”

“Through the relentless collaboration, between the DEA and ATF, state and federal partners have dealt significant blows to the violent drug trafficking organizations operating within the El Cotto public housing project,” said Special Agent in Charge Denise Foster of the DEA Detroit Field Office. “With over $72 million in street value narcotics seized and over 40 arrests made, our joint efforts underscore our unwavering commitment to dismantling criminal enterprises and safeguarding our communities.”

The indictment alleges that, from 2014 through the present, the defendants worked as part of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed illegal drugs for significant financial gain and profit — including cocaine base (commonly known as crack), heroin, cocaine, marijuana, Oxycodone (commonly known as Percocet), Alprazolam (commonly known as Xanax), Clonazepam (commonly known as Klonopin), and Tramadol — all within 1,000 feet of the Ramón Marín Solá Public Housing Project (PHP), Trina Padilla de Sanz PHP, Manuel Zeno Gandía PHP, Bella Vista PHP, and La Meseta PHP, all five facilities owned by a public housing authority and collectively referred to as El Cotto. The charging documents further allege that the leaders of the DTO that operates within the five PHPs comprising El Cotto met regularly to discuss drug trafficking activities and prevent issues between the members of the organization. The goal of the DTO was to maintain control of the drug trafficking activities within their territory by the use of force, threats, violence, and intimidation.

The defendants acted in different roles to further the goals of the drug trafficking conspiracy, including acting as leaders, enforcers, runners, sellers, and facilitators. The defendants charged in the indictment are:

1. Melquisedec Navarro-Lorenzo, also known as Melqui and La M
2. Joel Caraballo-López, also known as Flaqui
3. Luis Amezquita-Lorenzo, also known as Berto and Bethoven
4. Reinaldo Ortiz-González, also known as Chiqui, Compi Rey, Rajao, and Viejo
5. Alex Montalvo-Novoa, also known as Alex Chiquito
6. Jonathan Joel Franco-Mercado, also known as Gancho
7. Ivan Acosta-Rodríguez, also known as Luis Ivan Acosta Rodríguez, Luis Ivan Santiago Pérez, Ivan El Negro, Billy The Kid, and Wakala
8. Albert De Jesús-Schelmety, also known as Macu and Macuco
9. Renso Marcial-Rodríguez
10. Josué Cedeño-Feliciano, also known as Camboya
11. César Cardona-Mena, also known as Chivas
12. Lydia M. Pagán-Arocho, also known as Tata
13. Luis Méndez-Medina, also known as Tommy El Gago and Tommy El Loco
14. Jonathan Robles-Maldonado, also known as Paramédico and Jonathan Paramédico
15. Joseph Sanabria-Alequin, also known as Pitbull
16. Yefrain Molina-Viruet, also known as Harry Potter
17. Erick Juarbe-Rodríguez, also known as Erico
18. Ramón Colón-Crespo, also known as Papito
19. Jonathan Feliciano-Torres, also known as Duende
20. Abdiel Yadiel Carrión-Rosado, also known as Gemelo
21. Yadiel Abdiel Carrión-Rosado, also known as Gemelo
22. Emmanuel Pérez-Rodríguez, also known as Manny, Manes, and El Duraco Del Castillo
23. Obrian D. Mercado-Rivera
24. Ashley J. Rodríguez-Pérez, also known as Chal and Char
25. Jimar I. Álvarez-Maldonado, also known as Gordo
26. Jimel J. Ortiz-Delgado, also known as Miky and La Jota
27. Bryan Medina-Herrera, also known as Bryan Dialysis
28. Rafael Valle-Delgado, also known as Rafa Valle
29. Mitzuel Torres-Rivera
30. Jan C. Cuevas-Correa
31. Alexander Serrano-Colón, also known as Calle 13
32. Joselito Rodríguez-Álvarez, also known as Bombili
33. Ángel M. Felix-García, also known as Bully
34. Ángel Cortés-Soto, also known as Ángel el Bizco
35. Evans Y. Herrera-Quiñones, also known as El Enano
36. Luis O. Valentin-Rivera, also known as Luis Paramédico, Paramédico Valentin, and Omar
37. Jesús D. Rodríguez-Martínez, also known as Spock and Danny
38. Héctor Y. Rodríguez-Miranda, also known as Negri/Negrito
39. Michael Jordan-Lugo, also known as Jordan and Goldo
40. Kenneth Medina-Velázquez, also known as Kenny
41. Edgardo J. Ríos-Santana, also known as Coco
42. Kelvin Hernández-Bonilla, also known as Yampi and Yapi
43. Carlos Rodríguez-Herrera, also known as Carlitos and Hermano de Brian Dialysis
44. Natanael Franco-Mercado, also known as Nata, Hermano de Gancho, and Cirilo
45. Amisael Flores-Martínez, also known as Misa
46. Giovanni Molina-Viruet, also known as Giovannie and Giovanny
47. Alvin Y. Torres-Santiago, also known as Wisin and Yamil
48. Emmanuel Serrano-Feliciano, also known as Nana
49. Brandom L. Díaz-Navarro, also known as Brandon
50. Joshua Vargas-Feliciano, also known as Buda
51. Geovanell Mercado-Marrero, also known as Kiko
52. Jorge Cintrón-Cordero, also known as Ogui
53. Adonis J. Rosado-Serrano
54. Jonathan Ayala-Torres, also known as Menor, Siete Pestes, and Jon
55. José Santiago-Quiles, also known as Ewan
56. Liuzkany Rivera-Arroyo, also known as Kany and Luzkany
57. Adrián M. Lezca
58. Kevin X. Pérez-Molina, also known as Chino
59. Jair X. Galarza, also known as Marciano
60. Shaquilomar Molina-Soto, also known as Shaquille
61. Israel Rivera-Rivera, also known as Gemelo
62. Dexie Marie Narpiel Nieves, also known as La Flaca, Depsi, and Petunia

If convicted on the drug trafficking charges, the defendants face a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. Thirty-six of the above-listed defendants also face one charge of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted on the firearms charge, the defendants face a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison, to be served consecutively to any penalty imposed on the drug trafficking charges. Upon conviction, all defendants are subject to a narcotics forfeiture allegation of $72,868,600. If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

ATF, the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB), Arecibo Strike Force, and DEA investigated the case, with the collaboration of the FBI, USMS, Bayamón Municipal Police, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Puerto Rico Public Housing Authority, and Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney and Chief of the Gang Section Alberto López-Rocafort, Deputy Chief of the Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa Zapata-Valladares, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Pedro R. Casablanca and R. Vance Eaton for the District of Puerto Rico are prosecuting the case.

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On April 24, 2024, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging 62 violent gang members from the municipality of Arecibo with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, possession and distribution of controlled substances, and firearms violations, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. This investigation was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB), Arecibo Strike Force, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), with the collaboration of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S.  Marshals Service, the Bayamón Municipal Police, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Puerto Rico Public Housing Authority, and the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

“Thanks to the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), FBI, U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and our state and local partners, more than 60 alleged gang members and over $72 million in drugs have been seized in this operation,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The residents of public housing projects deserve better than to be terrorized by violent drug trafficking gangs, and the Justice Department will be relentless in our efforts to dismantle the gangs that fuel violent crime and profit from poisoning our communities.”

“The arrests in this case underscore the resolve of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and its law enforcement partners to uphold the rule of law and bring to justice violent criminals who threaten our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “The Department of Justice remains steadfast in its commitment to dismantle criminal organizations, hold gang members accountable, and pursue justice for victims.”

“The allegations in today’s indictments tell a scary story about gang violence in these public housing communities,” said ATF Director Steven Dettelbach. “For all the innocent residents who are trying to raise healthy families in safe communities, law enforcement wants you to know that we are here for you. Living in public housing cannot, and should not, mean being subjected to an atmosphere of gun violence and drug dealing around you and your family. ATF’s number one priority is getting the worst criminals – the trigger pullers and drug dealers  - off the streets. When rival gangs declare war on each other in the streets in any city, it is the innocent bystanders that suffer the greatest consequences. I want to commend all the ATF agents and our federal and local partners who worked tirelessly to make Arecibo and all of Puerto Rico a safer place.”

“Through the relentless collaboration, between the DEA, ATF, state and federal partners have dealt significant blows to the violent drug trafficking organizations operating within the El Cotto public housing project,” stated DEA Special Agent in Charge Denise Foster. “With over $72 million in street value narcotics seized and over 40 arrests made, our joint efforts underscore our unwavering commitment to dismantling criminal enterprises and safeguarding our communities.”

The indictment alleges that from 2014 through the present, the defendants worked as part of a drug trafficking organization (“DTO”) that distributed illegal drugs for significant financial gain and profit -- including cocaine base (commonly known as “crack”), heroin, cocaine, marihuana, Oxycodone (commonly known as Percocet), Alprazolam (commonly known as Xanax), Clonazepam (commonly known as Klonopin), and Tramadol – all within 1,000 feet of the Ramón Marín Solá Public Housing Project (“PHP”), the Trina Padilla de Sanz PHP, the Manuel Zeno Gandía PHP, the Bella Vista PHP, and La Meseta PHP, all five facilities owned by a public housing authority and collectively referred to as “El Cotto.” The charging documents further allege that the leaders of the DTO that operates within the five PHPs comprising El Cotto met regularly to discuss drug trafficking activities and prevent issues between the members of the organization. The goal of the DTO was to maintain control of the drug trafficking activities within their territory by the use of force, threats, violence, and intimidation.

The defendants acted in different roles to further the goals of the drug trafficking conspiracy, including acting as leaders, enforcers, runners, sellers, and facilitators. The defendants charged in the indictment are:

[1]      Melquisedec Navarro-Lorenzo, a.k.a. “Melqui/La M”

[2]      Joel Caraballo-López, a.k.a. “Flaqui”

[3]      Luis Amezquita-Lorenzo, a.k.a. “Berto/Bethoven”

[4]      Reinaldo Ortiz-González, a.k.a. “Chiqui/Compi Rey/Rajao/Viejo”

[5]      Alex Montalvo-Novoa, a.k.a. “Alex Chiquito”

[6]      Jonathan Joel Franco-Mercado, a.k.a. “Gancho”

[7]      Ivan Acosta-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Luis Ivan Acosta Rodríguez/Luis Ivan Santiago Pérez/Ivan El Negro/Billy The Kid/Wakala”

[8]      Albert De Jesús-Schelmety, a.k.a. “Macu/Macuco”

[9]      Renso Marcial-Rodríguez

[10]    Josué Cedeño-Feliciano, a.k.a. “Camboya”

[11]    César Cardona-Mena, a.k.a. “Chivas”

[12]    Lydia M. Pagán-Arocho, a.k.a. “Tata”

[13]    Luis Méndez-Medina, a.k.a. “Tommy El Gago/Tommy El Loco”

[14]    Jonathan Robles-Maldonado, a.k.a. “Paramédico/Jonathan Paramédico”

[15]    Joseph Sanabria-Alequin, a.k.a. “Pitbull”

[16]    Yefrain Molina-Viruet, a.k.a. “Harry Potter”

[17]    Erick Juarbe-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Erico”

[18]    Ramón Colón-Crespo, a.k.a. “Papito”

[19]    Jonathan Feliciano-Torres, a.k.a. “Duende”

[20]    Abdiel Yadiel Carrión-Rosado, a.k.a. “Gemelo”

[21]    Yadiel Abdiel Carrión-Rosado, a.k.a. “Gemelo”

[22]    Emmanuel Pérez-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Manny/Manes/El Duraco Del Castillo”

[23]    Obrian D. Mercado-Rivera

[24]    Ashley J. Rodríguez-Pérez, a.k.a. “Chal/Char”

[25]    Jimar I. Álvarez-Maldonado, a.k.a. “Gordo”

[26]    Jimel J. Ortiz-Delgado, a.k.a. “Maiky/La Jota”

[27]    Bryan Medina-Herrera, a.k.a. “Bryan Dialysis”

[28]    Rafael Valle-Delgado, a.k.a. “Rafa Valle”

[29]    Mitzuel Torres-Rivera

[30]    Jan C. Cuevas-Correa

[31]    Alexander Serrano-Colón, a.k.a. “Calle 13”

[32]    Joselito Rodríguez-Álvarez, a.k.a. “Bombili”

[33]    Ángel M. Felix-García, a.k.a. “Bully”

[34]    Ángel Cortés-Soto, a.k.a. “Ángel el Bizco”

[35]    Evans Y. Herrera-Quiñones, a.k.a. “El Enano”

[36]    Luis O. Valentin-Rivera, a.k.a. “Luis Paramédico/Paramédico Valentin/Omar”

[37]    Jesús D. Rodríguez-Martínez, a.k.a. “Spock/Danny”

[38]    Héctor Y. Rodríguez-Miranda, a.k.a. “Negri/Negrito”

[39]    Michael Jordan-Lugo, a.k.a. “Jordan/Goldo”

[40]    Kenneth Medina-Velázquez, a.k.a. “Kenny”

[41]    Edgardo J. Ríos-Santana, a.k.a. “Coco”

[42]    Kelvin Hernández-Bonilla, a.k.a. “Yampi/Yapi”

[43]    Carlos Rodríguez-Herrera, a.k.a. “Carlitos/Hermano de Brian Dialysis”

[44]    Natanael Franco-Mercado, a.k.a. “Nata/Hermano de Gancho/Cirilo”

[45]    Amisael Flores-Martínez, a.k.a. “Misa”

[46]    Giovanni Molina-Viruet, a.k.a. “Giovannie/Giovanny”

[47]    Alvin Y. Torres-Santiago, a.k.a. “Wisin/Yamil”

[48]    Emmanuel Serrano-Feliciano, a.k.a. “Nana”

[49]    Brandom L. Díaz-Navarro, a.k.a. “Brandon”

[50]    Joshua Vargas-Feliciano, a.k.a. “Buda”

[51]    Geovanell Mercado-Marrero, a.k.a. “Kiko”

[52]    Jorge Cintrón-Cordero, a.k.a. “Ogui”

[53]    Adonis J. Rosado-Serrano

[54]    Jonathan Ayala-Torres, a.k.a. “Menor/Siete Pestes/Jon”

[55]    José Santiago-Quiles, a.k.a. “Ewan”

[56]    Liuzkany Rivera-Arroyo, a.k.a. “Kany/Luzkany”

[57]    Adrián M. Lezca

[58]    Kevin X. Pérez-Molina, a.k.a. “Chino”

[59]    Jair X. Galarza, a.k.a. “Marciano”

[60]    Shaquilomar Molina-Soto, a.k.a. “Shaquille”

[61]    Israel Rivera-Rivera, a.k.a. “Gemelo”

[62]    Dexie Marie Narpiel Nieves, a.k.a. “La Flaca/Depsi/Petunia”

Thirty-Six of the above-listed defendants also face one charge of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Upon conviction, all defendants are subject to a narcotics forfeiture allegation of $72,868,600.

Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Gang Section Alberto López-Rocafort; Deputy Chief of the Gang Section, AUSA Teresa Zapata-Valladares; and AUSAs Pedro R. Casablanca and R. Vance Eaton are in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted on the drug trafficking charges, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison. A conviction on the firearms charge carries a mandatory, minimum sentence of five years to life imprisonment, to be served consecutively to any sentence imposed on the drug trafficking charges.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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San Juan, Puerto Rico — National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is April 21-27, 2024. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico joined efforts to raise awareness by participating in the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Faces of Gun Violence Exhibit at ATF’s Inaugural Gun Violence Survivors’ Summit. United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow participated along with ATF Director Steve Dettelbach in the unveiling of 118 photographs of people who have died through gun violence at the ATF headquarters’ atrium. The exhibit is accompanied by a kiosk which includes descriptions of the lives of the victims in the photographs.  Three (3) families from Puerto Rico shared the biographies and photographs of their family member who was murdered through gun violence. These victims of gun violence are: Lieutenant Oswaldo Albarati, Mr. David M. Méndez Calderón, and Stefano Steenbackers Betancourt.

In 2022, there were nearly 20 million instances of victimization in the United States. More than 6.6 million of those instances were crimes of violence, including rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault. Of that 6.6 million violent crimes, only about 42% were reported to police.

This year’s National Crime Victims’ Rights Week theme is “How would you help? Options, services, and hope for crime survivors.” Through this effort, we want to educate ourselves on how to create an environment in which victims and survivors feel safe talking about what happened to them. The theme aims to ensure that everyone in our community knows where and how to procure help for crime victims and survivors. It is essential that friends, family members, colleagues, neighbors, service providers, or other trusted members of the community who have first line contact and access to the victims of crime know how to procure and provide the necessary help. The theme also seeks to shine a light on the exceptional work of the dedicated victim witness personnel and prosecutors in the United States Attorneys’ office who provide vital assistance to crime victims on a daily basis.  During NCVRW, we honor their dedication, expertise, and essential contributions to our mission.

U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico said: “Gun violence continues to devastate families and communities across our communities and across our nation. It’s the leading cause of death for American children and teenagers. The Department of Justice has no higher priority than keeping our communities safe and that means targeting the most significant drivers of violent crime in this country — namely gun violence. Together, with federal, state, and local law enforcement and community partners we will continue to work to save lives and take violent criminals off the streets.”

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Pedro Luis Bones Torres pleaded guilty today to environmental crimes related to the illegal construction and deposit of material into the wetlands and waters of the United States in the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (the “Jobos Estuarine Reserve”) and Las Mareas community of Salinas, Puerto Rico.

According to court documents, starting no later than January of 2020, Bones-Torres engaged in construction and land clearing activities on a property to the South of Camino de Galileo in the las Mareas area of Salinas, Puerto Rico (the “Property”). At the time that the Defendant began construction activities, the majority of the property was a wetland consisting of mangrove trees and open area that was occasionally partially submerged by the sea tides. The wetland area of property was within the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.

Between January 2020 and October 2022, Bones-Torres removed mangroves and deposited fill material within the wetland area of the Property using excavation and earth moving equipment that the Defendant operated. Bones-Torres disposed of the mangroves at the edges of the property and on Camino de Galileo. After the Defendant filled the wetlands, he built a concrete pad, a concrete gazebo with an outdoor kitchen, a wooden gazebo, and a dock extending into Mar Negro.

Bones-Torres did not seek or receive approval to fill the wetlands, and at no point was the Defendant permitted to fill wetlands on or near the Property.

Bones-Torres pleaded guilty to one violation of the Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. § 1311(a), and one violation of the Rivers and Harbors Act, 33 U.S.C. § 403. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 24, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for the Clean Water Act violation as well as one year in prison for the Rivers and Harbors Act violation. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Special Agent in Charge Tyler Amon for the U.S. EPA Criminal Investigation Division made the announcement.

Various federal agencies are involved in this ongoing investigation into environmental crimes in the Jobos Estuarine Reserve and Las Mareas community, including the Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division (EPA-CID), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division (Army-CID), U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Inspector General (DOC-OIG), National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement (NOAA-OLE), and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement (FW OLE).

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney Patrick M. Duggan of the Environmental Crimes Section of the U.S. Department of Justice and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth A. Erbe, Environmental Litigation Coordinator for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico.

If you have any information related to this investigation or environmental crimes in the area, please contact enforcement officials, which may be done anonymously. The EPA can be contacted at (787) 977-5821 or at https://echo.epa.gov/denuncie-violaciones-ambientales.  The FBI can be contacted at (787) 987-6500 or https://tips.fbi.gov/.

For more information on the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Reserve, please visit https://www.drna.pr.gov/jbnerr/ or https://coast.noaa.gov/nerrs/reserves/jobos-bay.html.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging Lionel Albino Galindo, 52, of Vega Alta, PR, for child exploitation.

According to court documents, from February 2024 throughout March 19, 2024, Lionel Albino Galindo sexually exploited a 13-year-old female minor. The defendant used a cellular phone as well as internet instant messaging services, to knowingly persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a 13-year-old female minor, to engage in sexual activity, which includes the production of child pornography.

Albino Galindo knowingly transported the female minor to engage in sexual activity on several occasions and produced visual depictions of such conduct. The defendant also received child pornography from the female minor and sent obscene material to the minor.

Lionel Albino Galindo is facing one count of coercion and enticement of a minor; one count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity; one count of sexual exploitation of children; one count for receipt of child pornography; one count for possession of child pornography; and one count of transfer of obscene material to a minor.

The defendant is scheduled for his initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Giselle López-Soler of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. If convicted for the charges of coercion and enticement and transportation of minor to engage in illicit sexual conduct, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years up to life; for sexual exploitation of children he faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years up to 30 years; for possession of child pornography and transfer of obscene material  to a minor he faces up to 10 years; and for receipt of child pornography he faces five to 20 years in prison; all charges followed by a term of supervised release of no less than 5 years up to life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI is investigating the case with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau.

Assistant US Attorney (AUSA) Emelina Agrait Barreto of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – An officer from the Puerto Rico Police Bureau was arrested on criminal charges related to child exploitation conduct.

On April 15, 2024, Special Agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Juan arrested Luis Javier Pérez-Badillo, a 49-year-old man from Aguadilla, P.R.

A federal grand jury indicted Pérez-Badillo on April 10, 2024, with a three-count indictment including Production of Child Pornography, Transportation of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography.

From on or about October 11, 2023, through February 21, 2024, Luis Javier Pérez-Badillo used a cellular phone to knowingly employ, use, persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a twelve-year-old female minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct and to transport child pornography.  Pérez-Badillo knowingly possessed, and accessed with intent to view, images of child pornography of a twelve-year-old minor using a cellphone device with internet capabilities.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate and prosecute persons who exploit minors for sexual purposes,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “The defendant, who was entrusted by the community to serve and protect, violated that trust by sexually exploiting a child. As this case demonstrates, those who prey on children will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

HSI Special Agent in Charge Rebecca González-Ramos stated: “This individual does not represent our police officers, who are a prestige force that day by day sacrifice their lives to protect our community. This individual represents a predator that abused his position of public trust to engage in a despicable act. The Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force mission is to protect our children but most importantly to send a clear message that nobody is above the law, our children are sacred, and we will exhaust all resources in protecting them.”

Assistant United States Attorney Emelina M. Agrait-Barreto is prosecuting the case.

The Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force led by HSI is in charge of the investigation.

If convicted for the charges of Production of Child Pornography, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years up to 30 years in prison; for Transportation of Child Pornography the defendant faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 5 years up to 20 years in prison, and for the count of Possession of Child Pornography, the defendant faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years in prison, all charges will be followed by a term of supervised release after imprisonment of no less than 5 years up to life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit iGuardians™: Combating Child Predators  and to denounce suspicious activities call 787-729-6969.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On April 3, 2024, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned a ten-count indictment charging Osakwe Ismael Osagbue with mail fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1341, wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343, falsification of bankruptcy records in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1519, and aggravated identity theft in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028A in connection with his scheme to defraud twenty-eight federal bankruptcy courts, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.

According to court documents, from 2022 through April 2024 Osagbue devised a scheme to obtain money under the custody of various United States Bankruptcy Courts by submitting false documents impersonating unsuspecting individuals and requesting the withdrawal of unclaimed funds. Osagbue used the Federal Judiciary’s Public Access to Court Electronic Records system (PACER) to search for and identify bankruptcy cases with unclaimed funds. Osagbue would then mail the corresponding bankruptcy court a fraudulent application for payment of unclaimed funds. These fraudulent applications contained the means of identification of real people, including names and social security numbers, and signatures.  The fraudulent applications sought payment to bank accounts controlled by Osagbue in the names of the individual victims. On occasion, Osagbue followed-up by sending e-mail communications to court personnel using fraudulent e-mail accounts in the names of the unsuspecting individual victims. Upon receipt of payment, Osagbue would withdraw funds from automatic teller machines (ATMs) and deposit cash into his own personal bank account in his true name.

As part of his scheme, Osagbue submitted applications for more than $1.8 million in unclaimed funds. The twenty-eight United States Bankruptcy Courts involved are as follows:

1.         The District of Puerto Rico;

2.         The Northern District of Alabama;

3.         The District of Arizona;

4.         The District of Colorado;

5.         The District of Connecticut;

6.         The District of Delaware;

7.         The Middle District of Florida;

8.         The District of Hawaii;

9.         The Northern District of Illinois;

10.       The Southern District of Indiana;

11.       The Eastern District of Kentucky;

12.       The Western District of Louisiana;

13.       The Eastern District of Michigan;

14.       The Southern District of Mississippi;

15.       The Eastern District of Missouri;

16.       The District of Montana;

17.       The District of Nevada;

18.       The District of New Jersey;

19.       The Eastern District of New York;

20.       The Eastern District of North Carolina;

21.       The Northern District of Ohio;

22.       The Southern District of Ohio.

23.       The Western District of Pennsylvania;

24.       The District of Rhode Island;

25.       The District of Utah;

26.       The Eastern District of Washington;

27.       The District of Washington D.C., and

28.        The Eastern District of Wisconsin

The United States Secret Service is investigating this case in furtherance of its mission to combat cutting edge and complex financial crimes that pose a threat to the federal government and the nation’s economic security. Special thanks are provided to the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Puerto Rico (BCPR) which reported the fraudulent scheme to federal authorities.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney José Capó-Iriarte and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney José Carlos Díaz-Vega from the United States Department of Justice, Office of the United States Trustee, San Juan field office, are prosecuting the case.  The United States Trustee Program, through its Office of Criminal Enforcement is providing assistance as part of their responsibilities of coordinating criminal enforcement activities in the investigation and prosecution of bankruptcy related crimes throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, with the mission to protect the nation’s bankruptcy system and to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of debtors, creditors, and the public.

“The United States judicial system stands a core component of the United States government. Those that would steal from the judiciary pose a direct threat to that institution which will not be tolerated,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to actively investigate and prosecute those criminals whose actions impact the integrity of the United States courts and the integrity of the United States bankruptcy system.”

“Fraudulent unclaimed funds requests undermine the integrity of the United States bankruptcy system and frustrate the important administrative work by United States Bankruptcy Courts.  Such actions take money out of the pockets of creditors and debtors—and harm American taxpayers when fraudulent requests are paid,” said Tara Twomey, Director of the United States Trustee Program in Washington D.C. “Together with U.S. Attorney Muldrow in Puerto Rico, our law enforcement partners, such as the United States Secret Service, and our Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys, we will continue to pursue fraud and abuse in bankruptcy cases across the country.  We also appreciate the vital cooperation from the federal judiciary which helped bring this conduct to light.”

The defendant is scheduled for an initial court appearance in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland prior to his transfer to the District of Puerto Rico for subsequent proceedings. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison for any mail fraud, wire fraud, or falsification of bankruptcy records violation, and a mandatory term of two years in prison for any aggravated identity theft violation which must run consecutively. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging four individuals: Juan José Castaño-Palomo (a dual French and Colombian national) and Colombian nationals Carlos Alberto Bravo-Sarasty, Gustavo Rodríguez-Salazar, and Emilson Yordao Quiñonez-Hachito, with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance aboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States in violation of the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act (MDLEA), as well as violations of the Drug Trafficking Vessel Interdiction Act (DTVIA).

According to court documents, on March 21, 2024, while patrolling the Caribbean Sea, a United States Coast Guard (USCG) Law Enforcement Detachment Team embarked on the United States Navy vessel USS Leyte Gulf located a semi-submersible approximately 132 nautical miles northeast of Trinidad and Tobago in international waters. USCG law enforcement officers boarded the vessel. The boarding led to the arrest of the four individuals and the seizure of approximately 2,370 kilograms of cocaine (almost 6,000 pounds).

The four defendants made their initial court appearances on April 2, 2024, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marcos E. Lopez of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of life in prison on the drug trafficking charges and a maximum sentence of fifteen years in prison for violations of the DTVIA.  

U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico and Denise Foster, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Caribbean Division made the announcement.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Helena B. Daniel and Max Pérez-Bouret, Chief of the Transnational Organized Crime Section are prosecuting the case.

This prosecution is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Caribbean Corridor Strike Force. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-coordinated, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On April 4, 2024, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging four individuals with one count for firearms violations.

According to court documents, on or about October 31, 2023, Luis Nomar Isaac Sánchez, Joshua Enrique Bula Cartagena, Kevin Manuel Bonilla Ramírez, and Eli Yaniel Couvertier Pollock knowingly and unlawfully possessed and aided and abetted the possession of a machinegun, that is, a firearm modified to shoot more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger– that is a Glock 9mm, Model 19 pistol.

Upon conviction of the offense as set forth in Count One of the Indictment, the defendants shall forfeit to the United States pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 924(d) and 28 U.S.C. § 2461(c), any firearm and ammunition involved in the commission of the offense, including, but not limited to: (1) two Glock Model 19, 9mm pistols (one of which was the machinegun charged in the indictment); (2) four magazines; and (3) 61 rounds of 9mm ammunition.

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of ten years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico and Rebecca González-Ramos, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Juan made the announcement.

HSI San Juan is in charge of the investigation of the case with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau, the FBI San Juan Field Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the U.S. Marshals Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys R. Vance Eaton, Laura Díaz-González, and Joseph Russell are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On April 3, 2024, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging José Martínez-Serrano and Edwin Yadiel Flores-Tavárez with kidnapping resulting in death and possessing and discharging of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.

According to court documents, on July 25, 2023, the defendants, aiding and abetting each other and others, did unlawfully and willfully seize, confine, kidnap and abduct, and otherwise hold, T.D.C. and N.R.L., and shot them - resulting in their deaths. In committing and in furtherance of the commission of the kidnapping, Martínez-Serrano and Flores-Tavárez used a means, facility, and instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce, namely a 2022 Ford EcoSport and a cellular telephone.

“As alleged in the indictment, these defendants acted together in the kidnapping and vicious murder of two young women,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “We remain steadfast in our mission to bring violent criminals to justice. We will use all methods at our disposal to apprehend and prosecute those who commit such heinous acts.”

“Last summer, violent criminals took the lives of two young girls in the Piñones area. From that moment, our commitment has been to bring the criminals responsible to justice,” said Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office. “Today, we have come a step closer to justice, but our work is still unfinished, and our teams will not stop until we can bring this case to a full conclusion. I want to thank our colleagues at the Police of Puerto Rico and Carolina Municipal Police for their nonstop efforts in this case. Today’s arrests would not have been possible without their continued support of the mission.”

The defendants are scheduled for their initial court appearances today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marcos E. López of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. If convicted, they face life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI, Puerto Rico Police Bureau, and the Carolina Municipal Police are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Julian Radzinschi is prosecuting the case. Special Agents John Auchter and Sharon Vazquez of the Federal Bureau of Investigation are in charge of the investigation.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, together with state, local, and federal law enforcement officials, announce the implementation of a multi-agency violent crime reduction initiative – Operation Ceasefire. Each of following law enforcement agencies will allocate personnel and resources to Operation Ceasefire to jointly target, apprehend and prosecute the most prolific, violent armed criminals operating throughout Puerto Rico. 

• Secretary Domingo Emanuelli, Puerto Rico Department of Justice;
• Secretary Alexis Torres, Puerto Rico Department of Public Safety;
• Commissioner, Colonel Antonio López Figueroa, Puerto Rico Police Bureau;
• Commisioner Joey Prado, Bayamón Municipal Police;
• Commissioner Rubén Moyeno, Carolina Municipal Police;
• Commissioner Jorge Hernández Peña, Guaynabo Municipal Police;
• Acting Commissioner Juan Jackson, San Juan Municipal Police;
• Special Agent in Charge Christopher Robinson, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives;
• Special Agent in Charge Denise Foster, Drug Enforcement Administration;
• Special Agent in Charge Joseph González, Federal Bureau of Investigation;
• Special Agent in Charge Rebecca González Ramos, Homeland Security Investigations; and
• United States Marshal Wilmer Ocasio Ibarra, United States Marshals Service.

Operation Ceasefire will build on existing anti-violent crime strategies, such as the Gang Strike Forces and the Triggerpuller program. The initiative will be coordinated through the Chief and Deputy Chief of the United States Attorney’s Office’s Gang Section, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alberto Lopez-Rocafort and Teresa S. Zapata Valladares.

Operation Ceasefire will also draw upon the resources and collaboration of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program, as well as the Puerto Rico / U.S. Virgin Islands High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (PRVI HIDTA) Task Force.

The OCDETF mission is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States, using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency task force approach. OCDETF synchronizes and incentivizes prosecutors and agents to lead smart, creative investigations targeting the command-and-control networks of organized criminal groups and the illicit financiers that support them. Additional information about the OCDETF Program may be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

PSN brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN, an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, is the centerpiece of the Justice Department’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders works together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally‑based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

The PRVI HIDTA Task Force was established by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) in 1994. The mission of the PRVI HIDTA is to reduce violence and crime by targeting, disrupting, and dismantling drug trafficking and money laundering organizations supported by intelligence driven investigations.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A Bayamón man was arrested on March 19, 2024, on criminal charges related to various schemes involving bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, money laundering, and wire fraud.

According to court documents, from July 2021 until September 2021, Manuel Burgos-Ortiz, 28, knowingly executed and attempted to execute a scheme and artifice to defraud a federally insured financial institution, and to obtain moneys, funds, credits, and property owned by and under the custody and control of said institution by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises. The defendant conducted and attempted to conduct more than 70 fraudulent refund transactions for more than $5,000,000 using two debit cards and a Point of Sale (POS) system.

The defendant was able to apply for and obtain a POS system by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations and promises, and by using, without lawful authority, a means of identification of another person. Shortly after acquiring the POS system, the defendant started to conduct fraudulent refund transactions to two debit cards associated with Global Marketing PR LLC’s bank account, a company that he owned and controlled. The fraudulent refund transactions created a temporary false balance of funds in Global Marketing PR LLC’s bank account. By taking advantage of the transaction validation process the defendant was able to gain access to funds he was not entitled to and spend funds that did not belong to him. Throughout the scheme the defendant managed to use funds originated by the fraudulent POS refund transactions, and temporarily available in his account, to conduct numerous purchases, cash withdrawals and ATH Móvil transfers, resulting in an overdraft of more than $270,000 in Global Marketing PR LLC’s bank account.

The defendant engaged in monetary transactions in criminally derived property of a value greater than $10,000.00, by conducting transactions to purchase a new vehicle with funds that originated from fraudulent refund transactions, which the defendant was able to use by taking advantage of the transaction validation process. On July 23, 2021, two fraudulent refund transactions totaling more than $140,000 were conducted and approved using the POS system acquired by the defendant and a debit card associated with Global Marketing PR LLC’s bank account. That same morning, the defendant went in person to purchase a manager’s check for $74,036.25. That same day, the defendant used the manager’s check to purchase a new 2021 Black Dodge Rebel 1500.

From November 2023 until February of 2024, the defendant devised a scheme to defraud multiple small businesses and their owners, and to obtain money and property by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations and promises. As part of the scheme to defraud the defendant deceitfully identified himself as an employee of a transaction processing company that provides merchant acquiring, payment services and business process management services, and by means of false and  fraudulent pretenses, representations and promises, was able to gain access to multiple POS systems of small business to perform fraudulent refund transactions using debit cards associated with accounts he owned or had access to.  

“The defendant falsely represented himself as a legitimate business owner and employee of a company and stole money in many different ways,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “I commend the Secret Service agents and law enforcement partners who uncovered the complex web of financial transactions that led to the defendant’s arrest.”

If convicted, Burgos-Ortiz faces the following penalties: up to 30 years in prison for bank fraud; a mandatory consecutive sentence of at least two years for the aggravated identity theft count; up to ten years for money laundering; and up to 20 years in prison for wire fraud or up to 30 years if the wire fraud violation affects a financial institution. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The United States Secret Service is investigating the case with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Manuel Muñiz-Lorenzi from the Asset Recovery and Money Laundering Division is prosecuting the case.

Tips and information assist the Secret Service and its federal, state, and local law enforcement partners. If you believe to be a victim of any of the fraudulent schemes describe above or if you have any information about this defendant, contact the Secret Service San Juan Resident Office at 787-277-1515.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A Río Grande man was sentenced to 20 years and three months in prison for four counts of Hobbs Act violations and one count of firearms violations, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.

According to court documents, Miguel Cancel-Marrero, 62, committed a series of robberies while brandishing, carrying and using a firearm, in the presence of employees against their will, by means of threatened force, violence and fear of injury. The defendant admitted to the following robberies:

1. On January 14, 2021, the defendant took United States currency from Auto Zone in Trujillo Alto, PR. During this robbery, the defendant aimed the firearm at customers and employees and pointed the firearm at the head of an employee. Cancel-Marrero also admitted that he discharged the firearm while committing the robbery, shooting himself in the right leg and subsequently bleeding inside the Auto Zone.  
2. On December 2, 2020, the defendant took U.S. currency from Advanced Auto Parts in Río Grande, P.R.
3. On December 4, 2020, the defendant took U.S. currency from Advanced Auto Parts in Trujillo Alto, P.R.
4. On December 16, 2020, the defendant took U.S. currency from Auto Zone in Guaynabo, P.R.

On March 14, 2024, the Honorable Silvia Carreño-Coll, United States District Court Judge, sentenced Cancel-Marrero to 108 months on the four counts of Hobbs Act violations concurrent to one another and consecutive to 120 months on the 924 (c) discharge where the defendant shot himself in the leg for a total of 228 months imprisonment (19 years). The Court also sentenced the defendant to 15 months on the revocation of supervised release.  The defendant was also ordered to pay restitution to the victims.

U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI, San Juan Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Luis A. Valentin from the Transnational Organized Crime Unit prosecuted the case.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging three men with conspiring to transport stolen property interstate and money laundering.

According to court documents, Jaime A. Pérez-Hernández, Jaime Pérez-Ramírez, and Jesiel Pérez-Hernández conspired to purchase catalytic converters that were stolen from vehicles in Puerto Rico and transport them in interstate commerce to sell them to entities in New Jersey and Massachusetts, all in order to enrich themselves.

Catalytic converters are a component of an automotive vehicle’s exhaust device that reduces the toxic gas and pollutants from a vehicle’s internal combustion engine into safe emissions. To do so, catalytic converters use precious metals in their center, or “core”, that are regularly targeted for theft due to the high value of these metals, especially palladium, platinum, and rhodium. Some of these precious metals are more valuable per ounce than gold, and their value has been increasing in recent years. The black-market price for catalytic converters can exceed $1,000 each, depending on the type of vehicle, the source state, and other factors. Thus, the theft of catalytic converters has become increasingly popular because of their value, widespread availability, and relative ease to steal.

Beginning in October 2020, the defendants used Facebook to advertise the purchase of catalytic converters from the public in Puerto Rico. The defendants used their two metal recycling companies, Borinken Catalytics LLC and Perez Metal Recycle, to purchase stolen catalytic converters.

After amassing catalytic converters, the Conspirators used private commercial shipping companies to regularly transport and sell the catalytic converters to various catalytic converter extraction companies in the continental United States, who in turn extracted and shipped the precious metals to refineries. The defendants earned more than $3,000,000 from the sale of catalytic converters between October 2020 and the date of the indictment.

Defendants Jaime A. Pérez-Hernández and Jaime Pérez-Ramírez face one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. The defendants received wire transfers, cash, and checks for the bulk shipments of catalytic converters, which they withdrew and transferred to conceal the stolen catalytic converter proceeds.

“Amidst a rise in catalytic converter thefts in Puerto Rico and in the continental United States, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with the Justice Department have executed investigations and arrest operations in order to deter this multimillion-dollar catalytic converter theft trend,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “We will continue to work alongside the FBI and our state and local partners to disrupt criminal conspiracies like this one that target innocent people.”

“The theft and resale of catalytic converters is a serious crime that not only harms the environment but also undermines the safety and security of our communities,” said Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office. “This coordinated effort spanned multiple states and involved numerous law enforcement agencies. I am proud of the tireless efforts of our agents and law enforcement partners in bringing these criminals to justice.”

The defendants are scheduled for their initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Héctor Ramos-Vega of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for the conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate, and up to 20 years for the money laundering conspiracy. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI is in charge of the investigation of the case, with the collaboration of the following agencies: Puerto Rico Police Bureau, PR Department of Treasury (Hacienda), Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, Bayamón Municipal Police, Carolina Municipal Police, the PR Department of Correction and Rehabilitation, and the US Postal Inspection Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys E. Giovannie Mercado, Carlos Romo-Aledo, and Cesar Rivera-Díaz from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico; and Cesar S. Rivera-Giraud, Trial Attorney from the Violent Crime & Racketeering Section, Criminal Division, are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Kenneth Fleming and Akua Mosaics, Inc. (“Akua Mosaics”) pleaded guilty today to a conspiracy to smuggle goods into the United States in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 and 545, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.

According to the plea agreements, from 2021 through June 2022 Akua Mosaics and its president, Kenneth Fleming, conspired to defraud the United States by smuggling and clandestinely importing porcelain mosaic tiles manufactured in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), by falsely representing to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that said merchandise was of Malaysian origin. This was done with the intent to avoid paying anti­dumping duties of approximately 330.69%, countervailing duties of approximately 358.81%, and other duties of approximately 25% which were owed when importing these tiles from PRC to the United States.

Fleming and Akua Mosaics conspired with Shuyi Mo, a citizen and resident of PRC. Between October 2021 and January 2022, these caused a container with porcelain tiles manufactured in PRC to be shipped from PRC to Malaysia. They caused “Made in Malaysia” labels to be placed on boxes containing porcelain tiles manufactured in PRC and then caused a container with porcelain tiles manufactured in PRC to be shipped from Malaysia to Puerto Rico misrepresenting the country of origin as Malaysia, when in fact, PRC was the country of origin. The total amount of unpaid duties and tariffs on this shipment was approximately $1,090,000.

Mo was arrested on April 29, 2023 in the Northern District of California while attempting to the leave the United States. See May 3, 2023 Press Release.  Mo pleaded guilty on to his participation in the conspiracy and was sentenced on September 1, 2023 to the approximately four month term of imprisonment he had served and was removed from the United States. 

Fleming and Akua Mosaics face a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a payment of $1,090,000 in restitution. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Juan Global Trade Investigations Group (GTIG) in collaboration with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander L. Alum is prosecuting the case.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On March 17, 2024, the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Zachary Quiñones-Bon, Jouseph Quiñones-Andino and Alexander Martínez-Andino for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute approximately 67 kilograms of cocaine, which they attempted to smuggle in luggage through the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 846 and 841(a)(1).

W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, and Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement. The FBI and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau are investigating the case.

According to the government’s allegations in a criminal complaint filed in the case, on March 17, 2024, the three defendants conspired to possess with intent to distribute approximately 67 kilograms of cocaine at the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU).  In addition, Quiñones-Bon is charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c). 

Quiñones-Bon, a PRPB police officer assigned to work at the airport, utilized his credentials and uniform to access one of the terminals at the airport with pieces of luggage full of cocaine. Once inside the terminal, Quiñones-Bon (in police uniform and armed with his police-issued firearm) handed off the luggage to Quiñones-Andino and Martínez-Andino, who then took the luggage to a bathroom and unloaded the contents into different bags. Quiñones-Andino and Martínez-Andino then attempted to board a domestic flight headed to the State of Florida. The luggage containing approximately 67 kilograms of cocaine was seized and the three individuals were arrested.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys César Rivera and Jonathan Gottfried of the Violent Crimes Section are in charge of the prosecution of the case.  Special Agent Jonathan Vega of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is the case agent of the investigation.  If convicted on the drug trafficking conspiracy, the defendants face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Quiñones-Bon also faces a mandatory consecutive sentence of five years to life imprisonment on the firearms charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

This investigation is part of the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force (CCSF) and the Airport Investigations and Tactical Team (AirTAT). The specific mission of the CCSF is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle large scale international drug trafficking and money laundering organizations importing and further transshipping controlled substances, and related money laundering activities. CCSF signatory agencies include the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Coast Guard Investigative Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Marshals Service, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

AirTAT is an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) co-located multi-agency initiative created to identify, locate, disrupt, dismantle, and prosecute Domestic and Transnational Criminal Organizations (DTCOs) and its operatives using the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (LMMIA), the Fernando Luis Rivas Dominicci Airport (FLRDA), and airport peripherals as platforms to smuggle narcotics, weapons, human cargo, counterfeit documents, illicit proceeds, and other contraband through these critical airport infrastructures.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On March 7, 2024, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned four indictments charging four U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employees assigned to the 65th Infantry Postal Office in San Juan, Puerto Rico with delay of mail in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1703(a), announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.

The USPS is responsible for transporting and delivering absentee and early voter ballots in Puerto Rico, which is recognized by the USPS as election mail.  In September 2022, the Puerto Rico State Elections Commission (“Commission”) conducted a Special Election for the San Juan, Puerto Rico District 1 Senate vacancy. As part of the Commission’s services provided for the Special Election, in August 2022, the Administrative Board of Absent Voting and Early Voting (“Junta Administrativa de Voto Ausente y Voto Adelantado” (“JAVAA”)) mailed ballots to certain eligible voters in Puerto Rico, via USPS certified mail service.

Four individual mail carriers, employed by the USPS, delayed and did not deliver a total of forty pieces of election mail from the September 2022 Special Election to domiciled active voters in San Juan. More specifically:

1. On August 5, 2022, Christian Benny Díaz-Nieves, a postal Carrier Technician, unlawfully delayed and did not deliver twenty-two pieces of election mail;
2. On August 6, 2022, Jonathan David Javier-Pinango, a postal City Carrier Assistant 1, unlawfully delayed and did not deliver twelve pieces of election mail;  
3. On August 5, 2022, Michael Negrón-Cabrera, a postal City Carrier Assistant 1, unlawfully delayed and did not deliver one piece of election mail; and
4. From August 5, 2022 through August 15, 2022, María De Lourdes Martínez-Garriga, a postal City Carrier, unlawfully delayed and did not deliver five pieces of election mail.

Each USPS employee was charged separately with unlawful delay of mail and has not been charged with participating in a conspiracy or a scheme to impact the Special Election. The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG) is investigating the case with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), consistent with the mission to ensure efficiency, accountability, and integrity in the U.S. Postal Service.

“Our democracy depends on the right of eligible voters to cast a ballot and to have that ballot counted. If voters do not receive their ballots, they cannot execute one of our fundamental rights as United States citizens, the right to vote,” said United States Attorney Muldrow. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office along with our law enforcement partners will continue to protect this fundamental pillar of our society.”

“Voting allows individuals to have a say in the decisions that affect their lives and communities, and it is a powerful tool for promoting social change. Without the right to vote, marginalized groups may be further excluded from the political process, perpetuating inequality and injustice, which is why equal access is crucial and why we have this option to receive the ballot by mail,” said Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “Public officials across all government agencies must understand that they are held to a higher standard. The people depend on us, and those unwilling to execute their duties only hurt the communities we are meant to serve. I want to thank the Puerto Rico State Elections Commission for quickly reporting this and our valued colleagues at the US Postal Service OIG, who never hesitate to do the right thing.”

The defendants are scheduled for their initial court appearances today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Giselle López-Soler of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Colón and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tania Salas-De Jesús from the USPS-OIG are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On March 6, 2024, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned a 17-count indictment charging Myrna Faria, a.k.a. Myrna Oliveras-Santiago, with theft of government funds in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 641, mail fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1341, misuse of Social Security numbers in violation of 41 U.S.C. § 408(a)(8), and aggravated identity theft in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028A, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.

According to court documents, Faria was employed by the Social Security Administration (SSA) from approximately 1991 through 2019 as a “Social Insurance Specialist” and “Claims Specialist” working in the Workload Support Unit in San Juan, Puerto Rico. From March 2012 through March 2024, Faria embezzled and stole SSA funds, namely Retirement Insurance Benefits, Survivors Insurance Benefits and Auxiliary Benefit payments, to which she knew she was not entitled. In total, Faria stole approximately $1,812,455.10.

Faria utilized her position within SSA to submit false claims on behalf of others, using the identity of individuals she believed to be deceased. She then approved those false claims and submitted her own bank and address information to fraudulently receive the corresponding SSA beneficiary proceeds. Faria proceeded to withdraw, transfer, and spend the money from the accounts that fraudulently obtained the SSA funds. Over the span of twelve years, Faria submitted and approved 13 fraudulent claims. A total of 10 fraudulent claims were still active and receiving funds as of the date of the Indictment.

“It is especially egregious when individuals that hold positions of public trust engage in criminal activity,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “The defendant charged in this case allegedly abused the trust placed in her by the Social Security Administration and the public. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with all law enforcement agencies to safeguard the integrity of federal government institutions and to bring corrupt officials to justice.”

“Ms. Faria exploited her position with the Social Security Administration for her own personal gain stealing over $1.8 million. Evidence obtained in this investigation revealed that Ms. Faria fabricated retirement insurance benefits, divorced or widowed survivors, and auxiliary claims for 13 individuals who were deceased, or who she expected to be deceased. Ms. Faria then caused the fraudulent benefit payments to be made by SSA and directed all SSA payments to herself,” said Sharon MacDermott, Special Agent in Charge for the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General. “We will continue to work with SSA to identify fraudulent benefits payments. I want to thank the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for its efforts in this investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecuting this case.”

“The subject in this case used her position as an employee of the Social Security Administration to create false benefits claims using social security numbers for deceased individuals, as well as other tactics, and in doing so, she stole almost 2 million dollars. Even after she retired, she continued to enrich herself illegally. This is embarrassing and despicable conduct by a public official, someone called to serve the people, not take from them,” said Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office. “No one is above the law, and even if you think you can get away with it, we will find out sooner or later, and you will face consequences. I want to thank our colleagues from the Social Security Administration’s OIG, who did a fantastic job analyzing an enormous amount of data to detect this scheme, and the US Postal Inspector’s Service for assisting with this investigation.”

The Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the US Postal Inspection Service are investigating the case with the assistance from the Puerto Rico Police Bureau.

If convicted, the defendant faces the following maximum penalties: 10 years of imprisonment for Theft of Government Property; 20 years of imprisonment for Mail Fraud; 5 years of imprisonment for misuse of Social Security numbers; and a mandatory consecutive sentence of at least two years for the aggravated identity theft charges. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa D. Bonano-Rodríguez is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that the Puerto Rico United States Attorney’s Office has launched a Whistleblower Pilot Program designed to encourage early and voluntary self-disclosure of criminal conduct by individual participants in certain non-violent offenses.

In exchange for such self-disclosure and cooperation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will enter into a non-prosecution agreement where certain specified conditions are met, including, importantly, the condition that the government was not previously aware of the criminal conduct that is the subject of the disclosure. By providing clarity on the requirements of the benefits of such self-disclosure, we seek to incentivize individuals (and their counsel) to provide actionable and timely information. That will, in turn, help us bring more misconduct and criminal activity to light and better protect the communities we serve.

“Although other U.S. Attorney’s Offices have recently issued a similar policy, this new program follows on the message that this United States Attorney’s Office and our federal law enforcement partners have been stressing publicly for the past several years,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow.  “Full and complete early cooperation with federal authorities will be rewarded and is essential to our public service mission of rooting out fraud and public corruption and making our communities safer and stronger.”

Copies of the Whistleblower Pilot Program memorandum outlining this new policy, as well as a related Intake Form, are attached herewith and can also be found on the United States Attorney’s Office public website, located at https://www.justice.gov/usao-pr. In order to begin the whistleblower process under this program, the Intake Form can be sent via email to [email protected].

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – El Fiscal Federal W. Stephen Muldrow anuncia que la Oficina de la Fiscalía Federal del Distrito de Puerto Rico ha lanzado un Programa Piloto para Denunciantes (Whistleblower Pilot Program) diseñado para fomentar la divulgación temprana y voluntaria de conducta criminal por parte de participantes individuales en ciertos delitos no violentos.

A cambio de dicha divulgación y cooperación, la Fiscalía Federal entrará en un acuerdo de no enjuiciamiento cuando se cumplan ciertas condiciones específicas, incluida, sobre todo, la condición de que el gobierno no tuviera conocimiento previo de la conducta delictiva objeto de la divulgación. Al brindar claridad sobre los requisitos de los beneficios de dicha divulgación, buscamos incentivar a las personas (y a sus abogados) a brindar información procesable y oportuna. Eso, a su vez, nos ayudará a sacar a la luz más conductas indebidas y actividades delictivas, y a proteger mejor a las comunidades a las que servimos.

“Aunque otros Distritos han emitido recientemente una política similar, este nuevo programa sigue el mensaje que esta Fiscalía Federal y nuestros socios federales del orden público han estado enfatizando públicamente durante los últimos años,” dijo el Fiscal Federal W. Stephen Muldrow. “La cooperación temprana y completa con las autoridades federales será recompensada, al igual que es esencial para nuestra misión de servicio público de erradicar el fraude y la corrupción pública, y hacer que nuestras comunidades sean más seguras y fuertes.”

Adjunto incluimos copias del memorando del Programa Piloto para Denunciantes y del Formulario de Admisión. También se pueden encontrar en el sitio web público de Fiscalía Federal, ubicado en https://www.justice.gov/usao-pr. Para comenzar el proceso de denuncia de irregularidades bajo este programa, el Formulario de Admisión se puede enviar por correo electrónico a [email protected].

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A teacher from Mayagüez, PR, was arrested by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) on criminal charges related to child exploitation conduct.

On February 29, 2024, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico indicted Kiara Ramos Meléndez, 29, with one count of Coercion and Enticement of a Minor, and one count of Receipt of Child Exploitation Material. Today, the Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Taskforce (PRCACTF) led by HSI, arrested Ramos Meléndez.

According to court documents, from November of 2022 through October of 2023, the defendant used her cellular phone, as well as internet instant messaging services to persuade and entice a male minor, between 13 and 14 years of age, to engage in sexual activity and to request and receive sexually explicit images of the minor. From November of 2022 through April of 2023, Ramos Meléndez received sexually explicit images of the male minor via WhatsApp.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate and prosecute persons who exploit minors for sexual purposes,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “The defendant, who was entrusted by the community to protect and teach our children, violated that sacred trust by assaulting a child. As this case demonstrates, we will aggressively target those who prey on children.”

Rebecca González-Ramos, HSI San Juan’s Special Agent in Charge, said: “Individuals in a position of public trust have the responsibility to protect our most vulnerable. A teacher is one of the first lines of protection of our minors. Predators don’t have a profile, they come in all genders, it is our job to investigate them all and protect our children. HSI is vigilant, and we will not let one individual tarnish the name of all the amazing teachers that have a real commitment to teach and most importantly protect their students.”

If convicted for the charges of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illicit sexual conduct, she faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years up to life, and for receipt of child pornography she faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 5 years up to 20 years, all charges followed by a term of supervised release after imprisonment of no less than 5 years up to life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant US Attorney (AUSA) Daynelle Álvarez Lora from the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit is prosecuting the case.

For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit iGuardians™: Combating Child Predators  and to denounce suspicious activities call 787-729-6969.

For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from online sexual abuse, visit https://www.ice.gov/topics/iGuardians.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging Ángel Alexis Vázquez Sánchez, 25, of Jayuya, PR, for child exploitation.

According to court documents, from December 2021 throughout May 2023, Ángel Alexis Vázquez Sánchez sexually exploited four different minor females, between the ages of 12 and 16, with the intent that the minors engage in sexual activity, and to obtain sexually explicit images of the minors.

Ángel Alexis Vázquez Sánchez is facing four counts of coercion and enticement of a minor for using a cellular phone, instant messaging services, and social media to engage in sexual activity and to engage in sexually explicit conduct with four different female minors; four counts of sexual exploitation of children for engaging in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct; and two counts of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.

“Once again we call on all citizens:  If you see something, say something,” said United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow.  “Those who engage in child exploitation and create child sexual abuse material will be tracked down and held accountable for their heinous conduct.”

“This case is an example that if we all work together by sharing information and using our common sense to report something that just doesn’t seem right, we can save children from sex predators. We want to thank our HUD-OIG colleagues who understood the importance of collaboration and worked hand in hand with our team to make this investigation possible,” said Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan. “The investigation is ongoing, and we need the public to come forward and be a part of the solution. If you have been a victim of this subject or know someone who may have been, call 787-987-6500. The FBI San Juan Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking Squad works around the clock to detect, locate, and arrest sexual predators.”

“Today’s arrest reflects the unwavering commitment of our agents to seek justice for victims and hold bad actors accountable for this conduct,” said Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Daniel López with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG), Southeast Region. “HUD OIG will continue to work with our prosecutorial and law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of HUD’s programs and ensure our communities are safe.”

The defendant is scheduled for his initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marshal D. Morgan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. If convicted for the charges of coercion and enticement and transportation of minor to engage in illicit sexual conduct, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of ten years up to life, and for production of child pornography he faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of fifteen years up to 30 years; all charges followed by a term of supervised release of no less than 5 years up to life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI is investigating the case. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG) provided significant assistance during the ongoing investigation.

Assistant US Attorney (AUSA) Jenifer Y. Hernández-Vega, Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit Chief, is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Eduardo Luis Marrero Casanova, 53, a religious leader in Cayey, was sentenced on February 27, 2024, by Chief Judge Raul M. Arias Marxuach, to 240 months of imprisonment for two counts of production of child pornography.

According to court documents, from December 2022, through January 25, 2023, Marrero Casanova used a cellular phone, as well as internet instant messaging services, to knowingly persuade, induce, entice, and coerce two fifteen-year-old male minors to engage in sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense, which includes the production of child pornography as defined in Title 18, United States Code. Also, Marrero Casanova did knowingly employ, use, persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a minor, and attempted to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing any visual depiction of such conduct.

In a separate case, Alexander Joel Rivera-Santos, from Salinas, PR, was sentenced by Senior Judge Francisco A. Besosa on February 9, 2024, to 51 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release for possession of child exploitation material, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(5)(B).

According to court documents, an investigation from HSI Phoenix into chat rooms utilizing the Viber chat application to exchange child pornography identified users who were members of a chat that was exchanging child pornography. Several users’ numbers were affiliated with phone numbers from Puerto Rico. Those numbers were referred to HSI San Juan for further investigation.  An open-source database search revealed that one of the cellular phone numbers identified as a known member of those chat rooms was being used by Rivera-Santos.  The results of the investigation revealed that from on or about May 6, 2021, through on or about June 24, 2022, Rivera-Santos, using a cellphone device which had internet capabilities, knowingly possessed, and accessed with intent to view, material containing images of child pornography, that is, sexually explicit images of minors and minors engaging in sexual acts, including images of prepubescent minors or minors who had not attained 12 years of age. 

U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Rebecca González Ramos, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations made the announcement.

Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daynelle Álvarez Lora and Emelina Agrait Barreto prosecuted the cases.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment on February 29, 2024, charging two Dominican nationals with smuggling goods from the United States, Lacey Act trafficking, and failure to heave to, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.

According to court documents, on February 21, 2024, Saul Enrique José De La Cruz and Simon De La Cruz Paredes, knowingly exported and attempted to export juvenile American eels from the United States without declaring said merchandise to officials of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 554. The defendants were also charged with one count of Lacey Act trafficking for transporting and intending to sell the fish in violation of United States regulations, and one additional count of failure to heave to when they failed to obey the United States Coast Guard’s order to stop their vessel.

During a morning patrol, a Customs and Border Protection aircraft detected a suspicious vessel, approximately 39 nautical miles north of Arecibo, Puerto Rico. The United States Coast Guard responded to interdict the vessel, which was flagless and outfitted for smuggling.  Upon approach, the defendants failed to heave to, obligating the United States Coast Guard to neutralize the vessel. The defendants were caught on board in possession of approximately 22 bags of over 5,000 live American eels per bag that were being transported from Puerto Rico to the Dominican Republic.

The American eel (Anguilla rostrata) is a species of fish native to the Eastern United States and the Caribbean. The American eel is a “catadromous” species, meaning that it reproduces in saltwater systems and matures in fresh water (riverine) systems. American eel eggs hatch in the Atlantic Ocean’s Sargasso Sea, after which ocean currents carry the juvenile eels along the eastern American coast. Tidal fluctuations then wash the eels into freshwater river systems, including the rivers of Puerto Rico, after which they migrate upstream. At this juvenile stage, during which the eels are transparent and measure approximately 2-3 inches in length, the eels are referred to as an “elvers” or a “glass eels.” Once a glass eel matures, it will return to the Sargasso Sea in order to spawn.

American eels have not been successfully bred in captivity. The commercial market is therefore concentrated on the juvenile glass eel stage. Once captured, glass eels are typically sold to aquaculture facilities in Asia, where they are raised into adults and sold for sushi and other foods.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to enforcing federal environmental protection laws and to holding violators responsible for the harm they cause. These laws protect the animals, resources, and habitats within Puerto Rico,” said United States Attorney Muldrow. 

“This case highlights the extreme measures smuggling organizations are undertaking in violation of U.S. fishing laws to access and sell baby American eels in the international market, an activity that threatens to endanger the American eel population in the Caribbean,” said Cmdr. Gerard Wenk, Sector San Juan chief of response. “We appreciate the close coordination and collaboration of our CBP and Puerto Rico Police partners that was instrumental in achieving a successful interdiction and apprehension of the two suspects.”

“One of our highest priorities is to combat illegal wildlife trafficking and investigate individuals and organizations who are involved in the unlawful commercialization of our nation’s fish and wildlife. The illegal harvesting of American eels poses a vital threat to the survival of this essential species and undermines legal fishery management, jeopardizing the ecosystem,” said USFWS Office of Law Enforcement Assistant Director Ed Grace.

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison. If found guilty, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement are leading the investigation in this case, with the collaboration of the U.S. Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau, Joint Forces of Rapid Action (FURA). The Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources has also provided valuable assistance.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney Patrick M. Duggan of the Environmental Crimes Section of the U.S. Department of Justice and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth A. Erbe, Environmental Litigation Coordinator for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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A former legislative assistant to a member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives was sentenced today to three years and one month in prison for engaging in a scheme to accept a fraudulently inflated government salary in exchange for providing kickbacks to a legislator and the legislator’s family members.

According to court documents, from early 2013 until July 2020, Frances Acevedo-Ceballos, 35, of Carolina, served as a legislative assistant for María Milagros Charbonier-Laureano, also known as Tata, a member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives. In early 2017, Charbonier-Laureano inflated Acevedo-Ceballos’ salary from $800 on a bi-weekly, after-tax basis to over $2,100. Acevedo-Ceballos’ bi-weekly, net government salary further increased to between $2,700 and $2,900 from the middle of 2017 until June 2020. Out of every inflated paycheck, it was agreed that Acevedo-Ceballos would keep a portion and pay kickbacks ranging between $1,000 and $1,500 to Charbonier-Laureano, Charbonier-Laureano’s husband, Orlando Montes-Rivera, and Charbonier-Laureano’s son, throughout the course of the scheme.

Acevedo-Ceballos pleaded guilty in November 2023 to bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds.

In January, a federal jury convicted Charbonier-Laureano and Montes-Rivera of one count of conspiracy; two counts of theft, bribery, and kickbacks concerning programs receiving federal funds; six counts of honest services wire fraud; and two counts of money laundering. The jury also convicted Charbonier-Laureano of obstruction of justice for destroying data on her cell phone. Charbonier-Laureano and Montes-Rivera are scheduled to be sentenced on April 10. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico, and Special Agent in Charge Joseph Gonzalez of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI San Juan Field Office investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Jonathan E. Jacobson and Kathryn E. Fifield of the Criminal Divion’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney María L. Montañez Concepción for the District of Puerto Rico prosecuted the case.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On February 14, 2024, a federal grand jury returned a nine-count indictment charging 11 individuals for drug trafficking, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The United States Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau are investigating the case.

According to court documents, from April of 2019 and continuing up to and until September of 2022, the following defendants knowingly and intentionally, combined, conspired, and agreed with others, to knowingly and intentionally possess with intent to distribute and distribute cocaine using the U.S. Postal Service. 

[1] Emmanuel A. Fernández García

[2] Edwin Orlando Carrasquillo

[3] Efraín Guillermo Vila Serrano

[4] Marymar Marrero Torres

[5] Pedro Benjamín Marrero Torres

[6] Arajulia Ramírez Del Valle

[7] Sebastián Restrepo Cano

[8] Luis Dejesus III

[9] Gadelys Rosario Alvarado

[10] Tyrone José Beltrán Lugo

[11] David Custodio Hernández

The defendants are facing a narcotics forfeiture allegation of $6,930,000.

“Drug trafficking poses a significant threat to public health and safety,” said United States Attorney Muldrow. “This criminal organization distributed cocaine into communities across the East Coast in various ways, including the mail. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and its partners will continue to pursue drug traffickers and to seek justice for our communities.”

“The arrests made today in Massachusetts, Florida, and Puerto Rico highlight the broad reach of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service when it comes to dismantling criminal drug trafficking organizations that pose a serious public safety threat,” said Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division. “Postal inspectors aggressively seek to rid the mail of illicit narcotics, preserve the integrity of the mail and, most importantly, provide a safe environment for postal employees and Postal Service customers. I would like to commend the hard work and countless hours put forth by all the law enforcement agencies on this case. Together we will prevent these dangerous and addictive drugs from reaching our streets and ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice.” 

The defendants arrested in Puerto Rico are scheduled for their initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Héctor Ramos-Vega of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. If convicted, the defendants face a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison for the conspiracy charged in count one of the indictment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Vance Eaton is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Kelvin Pagán-La Luz, Javier Santiago-Rodríguez, and Star Enterprises Inc. (“Star Enterprises”) pleaded guilty today to Federal Program Theft in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 666(a)(1)(A).

According to the plea agreements, from June 2019 and continuing through August 2021, the defendants aiding and abetting each other, stole, embezzled, and obtained by fraud $213,201.07 owned by, and under the care, custody, and control of the Puerto Rico Department of Education (PRDOE).

Defendant Kevin Pagán-La Luz was employed by the PRDOE as the director of the Technical Education Program, a component of the PRDOE that was responsible for the administration of public post-secondary institutions operated under the auspices of the PRDOE. Pagán-La Luz lived with defendant Javier Santiago-Rodríguez, the owner and president of defendant Star Enterprises, a corporation with a registered physical address identical to the residential address that Pagán-La Luz and Santiago-Rodríguez shared.

In November 2017, Star Enterprises failed to renew its certificate of eligibility to contract with the Puerto Rico Department of Education or other local governmental entities. In December 2019, the Puerto Rico Department of State cancelled Star Enterprises certificate of incorporation because of its failure to comply with the Puerto Rico General Corporations Law.

As of December 2019, Star Enterprises could neither lawfully enter into any contracts with the government of Puerto Rico, nor lawfully conduct business in Puerto Rico. Despite not having either a valid certificate of eligibility or a valid certificate of incorporation, Kelvin Pagán-La Luz authorized payments to Star Enterprises totaling $213,210.07 for work that Star Enterprises purportedly performed for the PRDOE. In September 2020, Pagán-La Luz used an intermediary business that was an authorized contractor to funnel $59,999 to Star Enterprises and Santiago-Rodríguez for services that were never rendered.

“Today’s convictions should send a clear message that the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our federal and state partners will aggressively work to bring to justice those who defraud the government, especially institutions devoted to serve our children,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “Public corruption undermines confidence in our government institutions and the rule of law.  We will continue to hold accountable those who breach the public’s trust for their personal gain.”

“These individuals abused their positions of trust for personal gain, and with today’s action, will now be held accountable for cheating those they promised to serve – Puerto Rico students,” said Robert Wolfe, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General, Southeastern Region. “The OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who misappropriate education funds for their own selfish purposes. Puerto Rico’s students and taxpayers deserve nothing less.” 

“In this case, the public official was called primarily to act to benefit children and instead acted to benefit himself and his partner. I can't stress this enough: no scheme is invisible, and the People of Puerto Rico are tired of putting up with this behavior from those who are supposed to serve them,” said Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “Our Public Corruption team is trained to detect and disrupt plots to defraud the government and its constituents. We will not stop and will continue to urge the public to report these schemes. Together, we can continue our work to make Puerto Rico a place where our children get the educational services they need and deserve.”

The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on May 22 at 10 a.m. and face a maximum penalty of ten years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and a three-year term of supervised release. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General, Southeastern Region, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander L. Alum is prosecuting the case.

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