Video – Federal authorities arrested a married couple this morning in Carolina for fraud to the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program (PUA) and for fraud to the Immigration Service.
Federal prosecutor Héctor Ramírez Carbó reported this morning at a press conference that those arrested are Fernando Gallardo Álvarez and Olga Rivera Dávila.
The defendants used Social Security numbers and names of others to illegally obtain PUA and unemployment funds. According to the authorities, they altered the checks received in order to deposit the funds in their bank accounts. They used the money for personal expenses, such as paying for a 2020 SUV, investment deposits, among others, according to federal authorities.
Gallardo Álvarez also faces 22 charges for fraud with immigration documentation, aggravated identity theft, among others. From 2017 to August 2021, the defendant posed as an immigration attorney and charged between $1,000 and $6,000 to allegedly process immigration documents for immigrants. After this, he hid and ran from his clients.
If convicted, the defendants face up to 30 years in prison for bank fraud, 20 years for mail and wire fraud and a consecutive two-year term in prison for aggravated identity theft.
The investigation and arrests were carried out by agents from the federal Department of Labor, ICE HSI, Postal Inspectors, Social Security and the Puerto Rico Police.
Watch the video:
