Senate Staffer Figueroa-Cruz Jailed in Fraud Scheme

SAN JUAN, P.R. – Ángel Figueroa-Cruz, a former employee of the Puerto Rico Senate, is headed to federal prison after being sentenced to 10 months for his role in a brazen scheme to siphon funds from the Puerto Rican government. U.S. District Court Judge Francisco A. Besosa handed down the sentence today, along with a three-year supervised release term and a mandate for 150 hours of community service, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.

Figueroa-Cruz pleaded guilty on October 15, 2019, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, stemming from an 18-count indictment unsealed in May 2019. The indictment implicated Figueroa-Cruz alongside two former contractors, Chrystal Robles-Báez and Isoel Sánchez-Santiago, alleging a calculated effort to defraud the government through falsified billing and phantom services.

Robles-Báez and Sánchez-Santiago previously admitted their guilt in August 2019 and received sentences of four and ten months imprisonment, respectively, in February 2020. The trio allegedly operated between 2016 and June 2018, exploiting their connections following the 2016 Puerto Rico general elections. They established shell corporations – Global Instant Consulting Group, Inc. (“GICG”) and International Legislative and Governmental Consulting Group, Inc. (ILGCG) – specifically to secure professional services contracts with the Puerto Rico Senate and House of Representatives.

The scheme involved billing the government for work that was either never performed or was carried out in violation of contractual terms. According to the indictment, Robles-Báez repeatedly certified and requested payments for services allegedly provided at the Office of Governmental Affairs, despite having no presence there on those days. Even more disturbingly, the defendants allegedly fabricated evidence of services rendered, utilizing the personal identifying information of unsuspecting individuals without their knowledge or consent to create the illusion of legitimate work.

Prosecutors detailed how Robles-Báez actively solicited documentation from various government departments – including the Department of State, Treasury Department, and Police of Puerto Rico – through interstate wire communications, laying the groundwork for their fraudulent claims. Figueroa-Cruz’s involvement centered on facilitating this deception, leveraging his position within the Senate to advance the scheme. The indictment also detailed charges of intentional misapplication of property by an agent of an organization receiving federal funds, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering.

This case underscores a troubling pattern of corruption within the Puerto Rican government, where individuals exploit public office for personal gain. While Figueroa-Cruz’s 10-month sentence provides a measure of accountability, the extent of the financial damage and the full scope of the conspiracy remain subjects of ongoing scrutiny. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this story and expose the rot within the system.