Press Release
Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
District of Puerto Rico
Defendants Are Facing A Forfeiture Allegation Of $92,600
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico– Nine individuals have been indicted for their
alleged participation in a conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud,
access devices fraud, and/or aggravated identity theft, announced Rosa
Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, United States Attorney for the District of Pu-
erto Rico. The United States Secret Service is in charge of the investi-
gation. The indictment was unsealed today upon the arrest of the defen-
dants.
The indictment, returned on October 1st, 2015 by a federal grand jury
in the District of Puerto Rico, includes sixteen charges against the follo-
wing individuals: Carlos Bauzó-Vázquez, aka “Carlitos;” Lesville Ma-
tos-Bauzó, aka “Billy;” Gloria Bauzó-Vázquez, aka “Milagritos;” Hen-
ry Pérez-Díaz; Laydy Mar Feliciano-Miranda; Héctor Vega-Rivera, aka
“El Gringo;” José Díaz-Caraballo, aka “Timana;” David González-Ferrer;
and Rafael González-Ferrer.
These charges stem from a scheme utilized by the defendants from app-
roximately July 2014 to April 2015 to provide false employment, income,
and residency information to Banco Popular de Puerto Rico in order to
receive multiple personal loans and lines of credit. A member of the gro-
up would call Banco Popular’s Telebanco Popular service and request a
loan using the name, birth date, and social security number of another de-
fendant. During the course of the call, false information would be provi-
ded to the bank regarding where the person lived and worked. Further,
false information would be provided regarding the person’s income.
Once the requested loan was approved pending the submission of suppor-
ting documentation, defendants would take false documents to the bank as
evidence of the information provided via telephone. In particular, the de-
fendants utilized fictitious companies and falsified payroll documents in
support of the loan requests. Defendants would then cash the loan checks
and distribute the cash to members of the conspiracy. This scheme was re-
peated multiple times. On at least one occasion, credit cards were reques-
ted using the same information and documentation fraudulently submitted
to the bank for the loan. Members of the conspiracy then made cash advan-
ce withdrawals from bank branches and Automated Teller Machines
(ATM’s).
The indictment alleges one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, a
violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1349 and 1344; nine
counts of bank fraud, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section
1344, related to loan checks or cash advances fraudulently obtained from
the bank; five counts of aggravated identity theft, of a violation of Title 18,
United States Code, Section 1028A(a)(1), related to the possession and use
without lawful authority of a means of identification in relation to bank fra-
ud charged in the indictment; and one count of access devices fraud, a vio-
lation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1029(a)(2), related to the
use of unauthorized access devices, credit cards, obtained with intent to
defraud. The total value of the fraud was approximately $92,600.
If found guilty, defendants face a maximum penalty of thirty years in pri-
son for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud, ten years in pri-
son for access devises fraud, and a mandatory two year consecutive term
in prison for aggravated identity theft.
The case is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service. The case is be-
ing prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Erbe.
Indictments contain only charges and are not evidence of guilt. Defendants
are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The investiga-
tion is ongoing.
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