Federal jury finds Puerto Rico ex-legislator Charbonier guilty on corruption charges

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — María Milagros “Tata” Charbonier, a well-known former legislator in Puerto Rico who is popular with conservatives, was found guilty Friday of federal charges related to corruption.

Charbonier was indicted in August 2020 on charges including conspiracy; money laundering; and theft, bribery and kickbacks involving federally funded programs. She also was charged with obstruction of justice, with federal authorities accusing her of destroying data on her mobile phone.

She was found guilty on all charges.

The U.S. Department of Justice accused her of running a scheme from 2017 to 2020 in which she inflated her assistant’s bi-weekly salary from $800 to $2,900 and kept some of the money. Prosecutors estimated that Charbonier took a total of $100,000 during that period.

Charbonier declined to comment after the verdict. Her attorney said he would appeal. Sentencing is scheduled for April.

Also indicted was Charbonier’s assistant, Frances Acevedo Ceballos, who pleaded guilty last year in a deal with prosecutors.

Two others were charged: Charbonier’s son and husband. The son was enrolled in a pre-trial diversion program while the husband, Orlando Montes Rivera, was found guilty on Friday on the same charges as his wife.

Charbonier is an attorney who served in Puerto Rico’s House of Representatives from 2013 to 2020. She also was secretary general of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party.