Miosotis Ribot-Figueroa Gets 3 Years for Bank Fraud Scheme

Miosotis Ribot-Figueroa orchestrated a brazen bank fraud scheme that siphoned nearly half a million dollars from her employer’s accounts using forged invoices, stolen credentials, and fake approvals. Between May and October 2014, Ribot, then employed as assistant controller for a Puerto Rico-based medical equipment company, executed 34 unauthorized wire transfers totaling $490,165.42 to accounts she and José F. González-Guzmán controlled. Her access to financial systems wasn’t just a privilege—it became a weapon.

Federal authorities say Ribot logged into her employer’s internal network and manipulated the bank’s payment processing portal to push fraudulent transfers to herself and González. She covered her tracks by submitting falsified invoices and fabricating authorization records in the company’s journal voucher system—falsely attributing approvals to supervisors who never signed off. Her digital paper trail was a house of cards built on deception, but it crumbled under FBI scrutiny.

The scheme unraveled when a federal grand jury returned a 79-count indictment on December 9, 2015, charging Ribot with multiple counts of bank fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and monetary transactions in property derived from unlawful activity. Ribot pleaded guilty on April 26, 2016, along with González, who admitted to laundering part of the stolen funds. The FBI led a meticulous investigation that traced every illicit transfer and exposed the full extent of the financial betrayal.

On sentencing day, U.S. District Court Judge Gustavo Gelpí showed no leniency. Ribot was handed 36 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. She must also forfeit her home in Gurabo, Puerto Rico, and pay full restitution of $451,950.77. The forfeiture of property isn’t symbolic—it’s a clawback of every tangible benefit she stole from her employer and the system.

González, though not sentenced to prison, faces serious consequences: five years of probation, forfeiture of the vessel Cizañas—a 2002 Doral International Model 360SE—and restitution of $4,134.35 for his role in laundering illicit funds. His involvement, while lesser, still fueled the fraud’s aftermath, allowing stolen money to move undetected through financial channels.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Erbe prosecuted the case for Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The verdict sends a message: even white-collar crimes committed behind desks carry hard time and steep penalties. Ribot didn’t just break the law—she betrayed trust, exploited systems, and paid the price in shackles and forfeitures.