Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Ex-education Secretary, 5 Others Held in Puerto Rico Probe

Associated Press

   SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO - Puerto Rico's former secretary of education and
   five other people were arrested Wednesday on charges of steering
   federal money to unqualified, politically connected contractors,
   federal officials said.

   Federal officials said Wednesday morning that former Education
   Secretary Julia Keleher; former Puerto Rico Health Insurance
   Administration head Angela Avila-Marrero; businessmen Fernando
   Scherrer-Caillet and Alberto Velazquez-Pinol, and education contractors
   Glenda E. Ponce-Mendoza and Mayra Ponce-Mendoza, who are sisters, were
   arrested by the FBI on 32 counts of fraud and related charges.

   The alleged fraud involves $15.5 million in federal funding between
   2017 and 2019. Thirteen million was spent by the Department of
   Education during Keleher's time as secretary while $2.5 million was
   spent by the insurance administration when Avila was the director.

   Officials said there was no evidence that Keleher or Avila-Marrero had
   personally benefited from the scheme.

.