A judge sentenced a former mayor for a municipality in Puerto Rico to three years in federal prison Tuesday after the mayor accepted bribes in exchange for giving two separate companies municipal contracts, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
Reinaldo Vargas-Rodriguez, 49, will spend three years in federal prison after accepting at least $27,000 in cash from approximately January 2021 through July 2021 from the two businessmen. The businessmen were seeking municipal contracts for waste disposal services, asphalt and paving services and debris removal, according to a press release from the attorney’s office.
As mayor, Vargas-Rodriguez was the highest-ranking government official in the municipality of Humacao. In 2021, the municipality of Humacao under his leadership received more than $10,000 in federal benefits from grants, subsidies, loans, guarantees and other forms of assistance, all in violation of 18 U.S. Code § 666, court records revealed.
Former Puerto Rico Mayor Pleads Guilty to Bribery Schemehttps://t.co/2oLkwwZE0z
— Criminal Division (@DOJCrimDiv) April 12, 2023
Throughout the duration of the bribery scheme, Vargas-Rodriguez and the two businessmen took steps to conceal their actions by meeting in secret locations, texting in coded messages and using cash for kickback payments, per the court records.
In April, Vargas-Rodriguez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to solicit and accept bribes, according to an earlier release from the attorney’s office. (RELATED: Public Information Appears To Corroborate Key Details In FBI’s Biden Bribery Doc)
“This case is part of the Justice Department’s ongoing efforts to combat public corruption by municipal officials in Puerto Rico. In addition to the above matters, the Public Integrity Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico have recently obtained convictions against other former public officials and contractors in the District of Puerto Rico for soliciting and accepting bribes related to municipal contracts,” the release stated.