Suspected Fraudster Arrested in Puerto Rico: ACase of Identity Theft and Financial Crimes

In a significant law enforcement operation, Puerto Rico authorities apprehended Manuel Burgos-Ortiz, a 28-year-old man from Bayamón, on March 19, 2024. Burgos-Ortiz is under investigation for involvement in various financial crimes, including bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, money laundering, and wire fraud.

The Investigation Unfolds

According to court documents, Burgos-Ortiz’s criminal activities started as early as July 2021. He schemed to defraud a federally insured financial institution using false and fraudulent pretenses. As a result, over $5 million in fraudulent refund transactions were processed through two debit cards and a Point of Sale (POS) system.

Furthermore, Burgos-Ortiz obtained the illicit POS system by providing false identification, which he then used to conduct more than 70 deceitful refund transactions on the account of Global Marketing PR LLC, a company he owned and controlled. The fraudulent refunds gave Burgos-Ortiz unauthorized access to funds, leading to numerous purchases, cash withdrawals, and ATH Móvil transfers, resulting in an overdraft of the company’s account.

Fraudulent Activities Continued

The defendant’s activities did not stop there. From November 2023 to February 2024, Burgos-Ortiz orchestrated schemes to defraud multiple small businesses and their owners. He falsely identified himself as an employee of a legitimate transaction processing company and gained unauthorized access to various POS systems, performing fraudulent refund transactions using debit cards associated with accounts he had control over.

Charges and Consequences

If found guilty, Burgos-Ortiz faces a series of penalties. For bank fraud, he may face up to 30 years in prison. For the aggravated identity theft charge, he faces a mandatory consecutive sentence of at least two years. For money laundering, he faces up to ten years in prison. For wire fraud, he faces up to 20 years in prison or 30 years if the crime affected a financial institution. The final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge, taking into consideration U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other relevant statutory factors.

Ongoing Investigation

The investigation into Burgos-Ortiz’s activities is being conducted by the United States Secret Service, in collaboration with the Puerto Rico Police Bureau. Assistant U.S. Attorney Manuel Muñiz-Lorenzi from the Asset Recovery and Money Laundering Division is prosecuting the case.

Call to Action

Individuals who believe they have been victims of the described fraudulent schemes or have information regarding this defendant are encouraged to contact the Secret Service San Juan Resident Office at 787-277-1515.

Disclaimer

A criminal complaint is an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.