SAN JUAN, P.R. – On October 27 and 28, 2021, eight individuals were indicted and arrested for unemployment benefits and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) fraud in Puerto Rico.
According to the indictments, the defendants, including Millisen M. Martínez-Medina, engaged in schemes to defraud the Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources by submitting fraudulent applications for unemployment insurance benefits, including PUA benefits.
The false information submitted included false social security numbers and false employment information. The loss associated with these cases totals $280,868.
The defendants, including Millisen M. Martínez-Medina, prepared fraudulent applications and fraudulently obtained multiple unemployment checks from the DTRH by using false social security numbers.
Four indictments charge six individuals with theft of government property and mail fraud. The defendants received UI benefits from the DTRH via mail in the form of checks that they were not qualified or authorized to receive.
The defendants charged in four related indictments are: Millisen M. Martínez-Medina, Stephanie Carrasquillo-Marquez, Christian Colón-Rivera, a.k.a. “El Gordo”, Zyllynnette Ojeda-Falcón, Abner Colón-Díaz, and Yesenia Marquez-Rivera.
Millisen M. Martínez-Medina fraudulently obtained $23,304, and the total loss associated with these cases totals $280,868.
Defendant José Calderón-Lantigua is charged with wire fraud and money laundering. He applied for PUA benefits in Massachusetts, Arizona, and Michigan and obtained electronic transfers in his bank accounts in the names of other individuals. Calderón-Lantigua fraudulently obtained $43,970.
The cases were investigated by various federal agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the United States Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG), and the Social Security Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG), with the assistance of local law enforcement officials from the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB), the Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources, and the Puerto Rico Department of Treasury (Hacienda).
Mandatory Facts:
1. Defendant: Millisen M. Martínez-Medina
2. Exact Criminal Charges: Theft of Government Property and Mail Fraud
3. City and State: San Juan, Puerto Rico
4. Exact Date with Month/Day/Year: October 27 and 28, 2021
5. Sentence or Outcome: The cases are ongoing, and no sentencing information is available.
6. Dollar Amounts: $280,868 total loss, $23,304 fraudulently obtained by Millisen M. Martínez-Medina
Related Federal Cases
- Rhode Island Man Charged in $450,000 Unemployment Fraud Scheme · Massachusetts
- Letitia James, Civil RICO Lawsuit, New York 2023 · New York
- Eric J. McClure, Medi-Cal Fraud, Orange County UT 2023 · Massachusetts
- John Doe, Wire Fraud, California 2022 · Puerto Rico
- Collado-Urena, Money Laundering, Puerto Rico 2017 · Puerto Rico
Key Facts
- State: Puerto Rico
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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