CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M

Former Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, mayor convicted in bribery scheme

The former mayor of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, has been convicted in connection to a construction bribery scheme, the Justice Department said Thursday. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo

March 23 (UPI) -- The former mayor of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, has been convicted for his role in a construction bribery scheme, the Justice Department said Thursday.

Angel Perez-Otero was convicted of conspiracy, federal bribery, and extortion, the Justice Department said in a press release. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years for extortion and 10 years for bribery.

Court documents show that between 2019 and 2021, Perez-Otero received thousands of dollars in kickbacks from a local construction company in exchange for awarding them local contracts.

The case was prosecuted by attorneys Nicholas Cannon, of the Justice Department's criminal division's public integrity section and Myriam Fernandez-Gonzalez of the District of Puerto Rico.

Perez Otero is scheduled to be sentenced on August 8.