Wanda Vasquez pleads not guilty to taking bribes to fund her 2020 campaign

Former Governor Wanda Vasquez GarstuHe was arrested last Thursday by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI in English), dismissed an investigation into allegations of conspiracy and bribery to fund his 2020 election campaign.

A case has been registered that the petition was filed by the advocate Ignacio Fernandez de Lahongrais August 6, Saturday. The case is in the hands of a federal judge Raul Arias Marxwach.

“A plea of not guilty has been entered on behalf of defendant Vasquez Karst. The parties will be given seven days for discovery and 14 days thereafter to file any motions,” the motion signed by the magistrate said. Camille L. Welles Rive And today’s date, Monday.

New day He requested to speak to security, but a spokesman for the former governor said they would not be releasing statements about the case at this time.

Vasquez Corset, who spent just 17 months in La Fortaleza, faces three counts of conspiracy, bribery and wire fraud and, if convicted, could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

In all, the former governor and his co-defendants face a total of seven charges. Julio Herrera VelutiniVenezuelan international banker and former FBI agent with Bancredito International Bank & Trust Corporation Mark Rossini.

Impeachment Report, December 2019 to June 2020, then Governor Herrera Velutini and Rossini He “knowingly and willfully conspired” with others to “commit crimes against the United States.”

According to the document, since the beginning of 2019, the international banker, together with his co-conspirators, tried to interfere with the operations of the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions (OCIF) and the office of Puerto Rico. Regulation of Financial Crimes by the United States Department of the Treasury.

The indictment highlights that Herrera Velutini and Rossini agreed to provide “thousands of dollars” in funds to support Vázquez Garcett’s gubernatorial campaign in exchange for the former Justice Secretary, who demanded that the then OCIF commissioner step down. George Richard Joyner Kellywho undertook the audit of Pancredito.

The alleged deal included Vázquez Corset appointing a new OCIF commissioner and Herrera favoring Velutini. Vázquez Garced was appointed Victor Rodriguez Bonilla to the post in May 2020. Rodríguez Bonilla was Bancrédito’s counsel.

In this case, they pleaded guilty in federal court. John BlakemanVázquez Garced is a collaborator of the campaign and Bancrédito’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO, in English) Francis Díaz.

Vasquez Gard was released on a $50,000 secured bond. As he left federal court, he said the federal charges filed against him were “unfair.”

Herrera Velutini is in London and Rossini is in Madrid. The federal prosecutor’s office in San Juan confirmed it was in contact with both countries to initiate extradition proceedings. This may cause some delay, but it will not stop the judicial proceedings against the former governor.