Puerto Rico Mayor Facing Fraud Charges Over Millions In Gov’t Funds

Fact checked
Miguel G. Ortiz-Vélez, a Democrat-alligned Puerto Rico mayor, is facing fraud charges relating to the embezzlement of over $3 million in federal funds.

Miguel G. Ortiz-Vélez, a Democrat-alligned Puerto Rico mayor, is facing fraud charges relating to the conspiracy to steal millions in federal funds, just months after Puerto Rican politicians appeared on CNN and blamed President Trump for mishandling the Puerto Rico hurricane disaster response.

Update: This article, published on July 15 2018, originally alleged that San Juan mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz was the Puerto Rico mayor facing fraud charges over the conspiracy to steal millions in federal funds. This was incorrect.

According to a DOJ press release from July 5 of this year, it was the mayor of the municipality of Sabana Grande, Miguel G. Ortiz-Vélez, who had “been indicted and arrested for his participation in a conspiracy to steal federal funds involving fraudulently obtained contracts from the PR Department of Education.

Despite the fact that the U.S. government sent emergency workers, supplies and huge amounts of money to the territory, its Democrat-allied politicians still openly criticized the president — and the left-leaning mainstream media happily spread the “blame Trump” narrative.

As comparisons to George W. Bush and Hurricane Katrina grew, figures like San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz attacked Trump for supposedly mishandling the disaster response, despite the fact that emergency management experts praised the president and FEMA’s actions.

What is really nasty is that anyone would turn their back on the Puerto Rican people,” Yulín Cruz declared at the time, even wearing a T-shirt labeled “NASTY” — where did she get it during a major storm? — as part of a petty jab at the U.S. president.

Liberals across the United States, glued to CNN, cheered the San Juan mayor and declared her a national hero. “We are dying, and you (Trump) are killing us with the inefficiency and the bureaucracy,” she said during a television conference in early October.

Western Journal reports: Fast forward to this week. It turns out that sure enough, there was plenty of “inefficiency and bureaucracy” in Puerto Rico … but it looks like the island’s own liberal politicians were likely the ones behind it.

According to the Associated Press, a Puerto Rican mayor and two additional island officials have now been charged with corruption.

Although the alleged crimes go back before Hurricane Maria made landfall in the Caribbean, the arrests paint a dire picture of widespread corruption and misuse of government funds during the same general time frame as the disaster.

The suspects are the mayor of the southwest town of Sabana Grande and the former directors of finance for the northern town of Toa Baja,” the AP reported.

U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodriguez told reporters that the former officials from Toa Baja are accused of using nearly $5 million worth of federal funds to pay the town’s public employees and municipal contractors,” the newswire continued.

Not only is that illegal, it’s immoral,” Rodriguez added.

Puerto Rico officials are accused of taking millions of dollars that was granted by the United States for assistance programs and re-directing it wherever they saw fit, such as taking $2.5 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and using it to pay town employees.

At the center of the illegal scheme is Miguel Ortiz Vélez, who served as mayor. Ortiz Vélez belongs to the Popular Democratic Party, which is affiliated with the more well-known Democrat party in the mainland United States.

Guess who else belongs to the same liberal PDP political group: Carmen Yulín Cruz, the person who was blaming Trump for hurricane deaths while her own party was defrauding taxpayers and laundering aid money. Is anyone surprised?

There may be more arrests to follow, as well. Government officials said that more corruption is suspected, and additional Puerto Rican officials are under scrutiny.

Rodriguez said the investigation into alleged corruption in Toa Baja is ongoing because officials believe other people are involved,” the AP confirmed.

The hurricane that devastated Puerto Rico was certainly a tragedy, and many lessons about disaster preparedness can be learned from that incident.

However, it’s abundantly clear that widespread corruption and incompetence in Puerto Rico was a major part of the chaos. That corruption doesn’t point to Donald Trump … it leads right to the same leftist Democrats who were trying to point fingers the entire time.

Baxter Dmitry

Baxter Dmitry

Baxter Dmitry is a writer at The People's Voice. He covers politics, business and entertainment. Speaking truth to power since he learned to talk, Baxter has travelled in over 80 countries and won arguments in every single one. Live without fear.
Email: baxter@thepeoplesvoice.tv
Baxter Dmitry

43 Comments

  1. Baxter, you’ve won arguments in 80 different countries!?! Wow, that’s amazing! You must have a big gold star on your refrigerator! Were these arguments all with adults? I didn’t know that winning arguments was a testament to journalistic integrity. But you showed em, didn’t you Baxter! Good thing you’ve got a job with this first-rate news outlet.

        • Yes mayors were arrested but it wasnt Carmen Yulin mayor of San Juan. There are 78 mayors in Puerto Rico but she wasnt arrested or charged with anything. Sorry to break it to you

          • Ortiz Vélez belongs to the Popular Democratic Party Guess who else belongs to the same liberal PDP political group: Carmen
            Yulín Cruz, the person who was blaming Trump for hurricane deaths while
            her own party was defrauding taxpayers and laundering aid money. Is
            anyone surprised?

          • Another LIAR. You’re too stupid to understand that this website LIED to you. You are still repeating their LIES. How stupid do you have to be to do that? Dumb as a Trump supporter.

          • hey carpe, no one said it was Yulin and the article says it was Miguel Ortiz Vélez of the “Popular Democrat party” which is affiliated with the US dems. Nice try trying to use “fake news” but it is too easy to research and understand what is fake news and what is not. No wonder the left keeps losing – they can not even understand what is true and what is fake.

          • The story didn’t say SHE was arrested. Did you bother to read it or just look at the picture? Sorry to break it to you.

        • MANY? Which ones? YOU are a LIAR. You lie just like Trump LIES. Please stop being such a LIAR and a scumbag.

          • Oh quit blathering on. Now you’ve got your panties in a bunch. Is LIAR your favorite word? Was your grammar homework assignment to see how many times you could use the word in a sentence? You sound like you’re completely unhinged. You have NO idea how many times I’ve seen this story reported. I’ve seen it and obviously others have too since you’re trying to shout down anyone who repeats it. It is a true story. They found relief supplies in trash cans and stuck in warehouses too. Now, go take your nap

          • You are a LIAR. Post a link to a reputable news source — if you even know what that is. You’re garbage, Hillbilly.

      • At the center of the illegal scheme is Miguel Ortiz Vélez, who served as
        mayor. Ortiz Vélez belongs to the Popular Democratic Party, which is
        affiliated with the more well-known Democrat party in the mainland
        United States.

        • Manafort and Cohen both have been indicted and have pleaded guilty. Manafort and Cohen both belong to the Unpopular Republican Party, which is affiliated with crazy people, LIARS and criminals in the mainland United States.

          See how easy that is?

  2. She HATES Trump so much, she HAD to steal 3M worth of disaster supplies so she could protest on how he wasn’t helping out. I mean, you can never have enough MREs and bottled water hanging around and Trump made her do it because she is NASTY and must RESIST actually doing her darned job.

      • certainly false since we can not believe the actual videos we saw. Do you really think everyone is as stupid as many on the left and will get Gubbered that easily.

        • Annnnnnd The Dumbest of the Dumb weighs in again. Stopspending, how about you StopTALKING or StopPOSTING. You’re too stupid to do either.

  3. The destroyed meals sent to the poor hurricane survivors were even shown on ABC news. At the point of the news show, they remained on the truck just rotting in the hot and humid weather. I remember that bee-yotch, standing in front of relief items, whining about “dying” in PR yet NOTHING was given to the people who needed the food and assistance. She deserves every punishment ANYONE can give…good old DemocRATS…actually hurting people to get the point across that they are butt-hurt Killery didn’t win. NOW YOU SEE WHY AMERICA NEEDS A RE-VAMP!!!!

      • carpe, if you were there why didn;t you help distribute the supplies? Many , many reported and videos showed – that the supplies were sent by the US but NOT distributed. I guess we have you to thank for the lives that were lost. Thanks for telling us your involvement.

        • Why didn’t YOU distribute supplies. Why didn’t you send a donation to help people? Why are you incapable of basic humanity for your FELLOW AMERICANS???

      • Bullcrap. you were not there.

        I have people there and eventhough i could not stay long i was there for a little bit.

        where were you, which municipality? Aguas Buenas, Aibonito, Arecibo, Arroyo, Barceloneta,
        Barranquitas, Bayamón, Caguas, Canóvanas, Carolina, Cataño, Cayey,
        Ceiba, Ciales, Cidra, Coamo, Comerio y Corozal.

        • Yes I was all over the island remember you guys said it was fake news now you cant pick and choose. You cant have it both ways

  4. As much as I despise this witch, I find that nowhere in this article is she mentioned as being investigated.

    • If you google for more info, there are many reports and evidence that supplies sent by the US were not distributed and the mayor probably had a hand in stopping the distribution. Anything to make Trump look bad but unfortunately for the left, you can only lie so much before truth comes out.

      • Actually the mayor isnt the captain of that ship the governor is. She cant hold back a thing if the governor says it neds to be moved. She has no authority over him.But nice try.

  5. They cant find a picture of the guilty mayor? All this one is guilty of is being a camera whore and total incompetence in preparing for a disaster. (look I pooped on the floor where is the USA to clean this up!)

    • Actually according to the law the federal government is tasked with hurricane preparedness for the Island of Puerto Rico as well as the rest of the United States. They were not ready as they were required to be and they admitted so they also had an incomplete disaster plan.

  6. Of course he is the only one and is responsible for all corruption on the entire Island.
    Hopefully he will be the RAT that RATS out the rest of the RATS and I am sure that there will be some RATS in the states. I like using the word RAT. As in DemonicRAT

  7. Oh my God. President Trump was/is right again!!! The Democrats are evil and corrupt and criminal; and Carmen Yulin was running for governor in 2020!!! lol. Don’t see it happening now.

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