PUA-gate

PUA-gate, is a series of several financial fraud scandals related to the payment of beneifts from the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program from the CARES Act in Puerto Rico during 2020. The most notable of these schemes, known as San Ignacio-gate, involved several students from the college-preparatory school Colegio San Ignacio de Loyola receiving unemployment checks.

PUA-gate
Date (2020-07-03) 3 July 2020
DurationOngoing
LocationPuerto Rico
Also known asSan Ignacio-gate
TypeWelfare fraud
TargetPuerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources
Property damageAt least $187,230
Arrests35 (as of 5 August 2020)
SuspectsAt least 30 students from the Colegio San Ignacio (ages 14-18)

35 individuals have been arrested, including:

Luis Manuel De la Paz Rodríguez (41 years of age)
Emanuel Padilla Vázquez (39)
Luis Franceschini Sierra (24)
Abilio Villanueva Rosario (41)
Current event

Background

During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Puerto Rico, the United States passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES), which included a broad unemployment benefits program, the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), for any individual who was out of work due to the pandemic. In Puerto Rico, the funds are managed by the Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources (DTRH, for its initials in Spanish), who hired Evertec Group LLC, a joint-subsidiary of Popular, Inc. and Apollo Management to manage not only PUA requests, but other requests for funds from the CARES Act.[1] The platform had been faulty since reports were made in April, were the platform had become "glitchy" to users, who were unable to complete the forms.[2]

In early June, it was revealed that the platform was mailing many checks to an address marked as La Misma ("the same", in Spanish), since many applicants receive mail at their home address and would indicate this by writing "la misma" in the enclosed space for the mailing address.[3] While the platform is automated for applicants, employees of the DTRH also input the data they receive from applicants who applied physically into the system, which printed and mailed thousands of undeliverable checks. This was only discovered when a United States Postal Service worker reported it on social media.[4] This all forced then Secretary of Labor, Briseida Torres Reyes to resign her post. Her replacement, Carlos Rivera Santiago, had announced on 3 July that the United States Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General were verifying and auditing the PUA transactions and the Puerto Rico Department of Treasury would verify if the recipients had in fact filed Income Tax Returns as self-employed.[5]

The DTRH established that it would be only involved in the recovery of the funds and that both local and federal authorities would be involved in filing criminal charges. Initially, the merchan registration certification was not required, but later it was as government and businesses reopened. On 29 July, Rivera Santiago revealed that the Department is working on a new, much more efficient platform that would pay out money through direct deposit, requireing the applicant to input their route and account numbers and the deposit would be made in a period of 72 hours.[6]

Breakdown of PUA and Unemployment applications (15 March–24 July)[6]
Benefits Program Approved Do not qualify Controversial points[lower-alpha 1] Total applications
Unemployment 208,749 90,172 58,202 333,288
PUA 263,117 307,051
Total 471,866 640,339

Colegio San Ignacio

Other fraud schemes

Identity Theft

Up until 16 July 2020, the Bank Robbery and Banking Institutions Fraud Division of the Criminal Investigations Auxiliary Superintendency (SAIC) of the Puerto Rico Police had arrested 10 individuals for stealing the identities of other individuals and using false identifications to cash the checks they received in the victims' names.[7][8] Two additional arrests were made the day after in a bank in Vega Alta, at which they were trying to cash a total of $9,390.[9][10] Up until the 24 July, 7 of the 18 complaints filed were related to identity theft.[11] On 3 August, at a Popular, Inc. branch in San Patricio Plaza in Guaynabo, a 27-year-old man was arrested for attempting to cash a check for $10,722.[12][13]

False Statements and Misinformation

During late July 2020, inspectors from the United States Postal Service alerted the Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources that various checks were arriving addresses to abandoned houses. Some of these had received more than 20 checks. The investigations revealed that some drug addicts were providing their name, Social Security number and address, but were not obligated to provide evidence of unemployment. The perpetrators would be on the lookout for the mail delivery and then pick the check and later cash them at the bank with documents that corroborated their identity.[14] It was later revealed by the director of the SAIC, Lt. José Ayala, that he was after a criminal organization that used homeless people, both Puerto Ricans and foreigners, to do this.[15] On July 23, three men were arrested for using false identities in Bayamón and Carolina. Up until the 24 July, 11 of the complaints filed were related to false statements.[11]

On 25 July the Office of the Inspector General of the Government of Puerto Rico referred to the federal authorities the case of an individual who had received more than $30,000 in less than 45 days by keeping their own name and address the same and using various Social Security Numbers.[16][17] On the same day three individuals were arrested in Dorado, Bayamón and San Juan with a sum of approximately $20,000.[14] Two men, one in San Juan and the other in Toa Baja, were arrested for attempting to cash checks using false driver's licences.[18] On 4 Agust, a man was arrested at a Popular, Inc. branch in the Los Colobos Shopping Center in Carolina when he was caught using a false driver's license to cash a $3,950 check.[19]

Results

Up until 24 July, the Puerto Rico Police had recovered $133,252.[20] This figure had grown to $153,000 pertaining to 29 individuals arrested between 14 and 26 July. However, none of the people arrested were able to appear before a judge by the latter date, since the prosecutor had to wait for documents from both the DTRH and Evertec.[14] Between 14 July and 3 August, the SAIC had recovered $183,280.[21] By the next day the total amount had ascended to $187,230.[19]

Number of individuals arrested for PUA fraud
Date Arrested Alleged Crime Total Tally
16 July 10 Identity Theft 10
17 July 2 Identity Theft 12
23 July 3 False Statements 23
25 July N/A False Statements 25
27 July 2 False Statements 31
3 August 1 Identity Theft 34
4 August 1 False Statements 35
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See also

Welfare fruad

References
  1. "Refieren a los federales esquema de fraude del PUA" [Fraud Scheme of the PUA Referred to the Feds]. Periódico La Esquina (in Spanish). 2020-07-24. Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
  2. "Evertec acknowledges fault for unemployment system breakdown". Caribbean Business. 2020-04-28. Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
  3. Serrano, Oscar J. (2020-06-11). "Cartas con "la misma" son responsabilidad de Evertec, que recibe $1 millón más en su contrato" [Letters With "the same" Are the Responsibility of Evertec, Who Receive An Additional $1 million In Their Contract]. NotiCel (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
  4. "Cartero alerta de error que ha impedido el envío de los cheques de desempleo" [Postman Alerts of Error That Has Prevented the Sending of Unemployment Checks]. Metro PR (in Spanish). 2020-06-10. Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
  5. "Investigan personas que cometieron fraude para solicitar beneficios por Desempleo" [Investigation for People Who Committed Fraud to Apply For Unemployment Benefits]. WIPR-TV (in Spanish). 2020-07-03. Archived from the original on 2020-05-08. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
  6. Rivera-Clemente, Yaritza; Rivera-Puig, Miguel (2020-07-29). "Federales miran de cerca el fraude a PUA" [Feds Take a Close Look at PUA Fraud]. El Vocero (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
  7. "Arrestan a 10 personas por fraude para cobrar el PUA" [10 People Arrested For Collecting the PUA Fraud]. Radio Isla (in Spanish). 2020-07-16. Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
  8. "Autoridades realizan arrestos por alegado fraude al beneficio del desempleo pandémico, PUA" [Authorities Make arrests for Alleged Pandemic Unemployment Benefits, PUA Fraud]. The San Juan Daily Star (in Spanish). 2020-07-17. Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
  9. "Investigan fraude al desempleo pandémico PUA" [PUA Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Investigated]. Foro Noticioso (in Spanish). 2020-07-17. Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
  10. "Suman a 12 las personas arrestadas en Puerto Rico por fraude al PUA" [There Are 12 People Arrested in Puerto Rico for PUA Fraud]. Univision (in Spanish). 2020-08-05. Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
  11. "Policía informa 23 arrestos en total por fraude al PUA" [Police Report 23 Arrests in Total for PUA Fraud]. La Perla del Sur (in Spanish). 2020-07-24. Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
  12. Cintrón, María (2020-08-03). "Hombre es arrestado por intentar cambiar un cheque del PUA en Guaynabo" [Man is Arrested for Trying to Cash a PUA Check in Guaynabo.]. Conéctate TV (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
  13. "Arrestan a un hombre por fraude al programa federal PUA" [Man Arrested for Federal PUA Fraud]. El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). 2020-08-03. Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
  14. Rivera-Puig, Miguel (2020-07-27). "No cesa el fraude al PUA" [PUA Fraud Does Not Stop]. El Vocero (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
  15. "Policía recupera más de $100 mil en efectivo por fraude a PUA" [Police Recover More Than $100,000 in Cash for Fraud Against PUA]. Metro PR (in Spanish). 2020-07-21. Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
  16. "Descubren fraude con beneficios de desempleo" [Unemployment Fraud Discovered]. Sin Comillas (in Spanish). 2020-07-25. Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
  17. "Esquema de fraude con PUA es referido a los federales" [PUA Fraud Scheme Is Referred to the Feds]. Primera Hora (Puerto Rico) (in Spanish). 2020-07-25. Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
  18. "31 personas han sido arrestadas por fraude al PUA" [31 People Have Been Arrested for PUA Fraud]. NotiUno (in Spanish). 2020-07-27. Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
  19. Hernández, José Rafael (2020-08-04). "Cae otro estafador tratando de cambiar cheque de PUA en Carolina" [Another Scammer Falls Trying to Change PUA Check in Carolina]. Presencia PR (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
  20. "23 personas arrestadas por fraude al PUA" [23 People Arrested for Fraud Against the PUA]. Noticias en Línea (in Spanish). 2020-07-24. Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
  21. "Cae otro hombre por fraude a PUA" [Another Man Falls for PUA Fraud]. El Vocero (in Spanish). 2020-08-03. Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
  1. Applicant is missing some information or document to determine if they are eligible or not
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