Wanda Vazquez Garced, Bribery, Puerto Rico 2020

Former Governor of Puerto Rico Arrested in Bribery Scheme

A former governor of Puerto Rico was arrested today on bribery charges related to the financing of her 2020 campaign. Wanda Vazquez Garced, 62, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, allegedly engaged in a bribery scheme with various individuals to finance her 2020 gubernatorial election campaign.

According to the indictment, from December 2019 through June 2020, Vazquez Garced allegedly accepted a bribe in exchange for terminating the Commissioner of the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions (OCIF) and appointing a new Commissioner of her choosing. In return, Herrera Velutini and Rossini allegedly paid more than $300,000 to political consultants in support of Vazquez Garced's campaign.

The indictment further alleges that Herrera Velutini's bank was the subject of an examination by Puerto Rico's OCIF, a regulatory agency that oversees financial institutions operating in Puerto Rico. Through intermediaries, Herrera Velutini and Rossini allegedly promised to provide funding to support Vazquez Garced's 2020 gubernatorial election campaign in exchange for Vazquez Garced taking official action to demand the resignation of OCIF Commissioner A and appointing OCIF Commissioner B – a former consultant for the international bank owned by Herrera Velutini.

“The alleged bribery scheme rose to the highest levels of the Puerto Rican government, threatening public trust in our electoral processes and institutions of governance,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Criminal Division. “The Department of Justice is committed to holding accountable those who wrongly believe there is one rule of law for the powerful and another for the powerless. No one is above the law.”

Herrera Velutini, 50, a dual Venezuelan-Italian citizen residing in London, United Kingdom, owned an international bank operating in San Juan. Diaz, 50, of Puerto Rico was the CEO and President of the international bank owned by Herrera Velutini. Rossini, 60, of Madrid, Spain was a former FBI Special Agent who provided consulting services to Herrera Velutini. Blakeman, 53, of Puerto Rico, is a political consultant who worked on Vazquez Garced's 2020 campaign.

Vazquez Garced is charged with one count of bribery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 201(a)(3)(B), which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. Herrera Velutini has pleaded guilty to participating in the bribery scheme. Diaz, Rossini, and Blakeman have also pleaded guilty to participating in the bribery scheme.

“Public corruption manifests in many different ways,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph González of the FBI San Juan Field Office. “Those who engage in this illegal conduct often believe they are above the law or fool themselves into believing this is a victimless crime and thus are not doing anything wrong. Our message is and has been clear. Public corruption erodes the people's trust in our institutions and fuels civil unrest. As a top priority for the FBI, wherever allegations of public corruption arise, we will investigate. No one is above the law and the victim of this crime, the People, deserve better.”

According to the indictment, the bribery scheme began in 2019 and continued until June 2020. Vazquez Garced was arrested today on bribery charges related to the financing of her 2020 campaign.

Defendant: Wanda Vazquez Garced

Criminal Charges: Bribery

City and State: San Juan, Puerto Rico

Exact Date: February 2020

Sentence or Outcome: Currently pending

Dollar Amounts: $300,000

Source: https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/former-governor-puerto-rico-arrested-bribery-scheme