Six in Puerto Rico indicted in $9M scheme targeting US funds

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Officials say a federal grand jury in Puerto Rico has indicted six people accused in a $9 million fraudulent scheme involving government pandemic funds. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Wednesday that the suspects include a banker and face charges including wire fraud and money laundering. Authorities accused the suspects of submitting more than 270 loan applications from April 2020 to April 2023 using fake IDs, tax documents, payroll records and bank records to illegally obtain federal recovery funds. Officials said the U.S. government seized nearly $850,000 in proceeds of the alleged scheme from an unnamed bank where one of the suspects worked.