24 months for 66,000 in bribes at the Caguas and Carolina CESCOS; a sentence, not a charge

On Feb. 24, 2026, U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announced that Judge Pedro A. Delgado, on Feb. 23, sentenced Juan Carlos Cruz-Hernández to 24 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and 32,000 dollars in restitution for a bribery and wire-fraud conspiracy against DTOP. A sentence is not a charge. Cruz-Hernández pleaded guilty on May 6, 2025 and paid about 66,000 dollars in bribes to DTOP employees at the Caguas and Carolina CESCO centers to erase driver and vehicle fines. The 32,000 in restitution is not the 66,000 in bribes. This defendant’s admitted guilt is not a verdict against the others. Four were charged July 17, 2024; two co-defendants have sentencing set for March 2026 and one awaits trial. Anyone awaiting trial is presumed innocent. Release 2026-014.

Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Puerto Rico. https://www.justice.gov/usao-pr/pr/individual-sentenced-24-months-prison-his-participation-bribery-scheme-eliminate-puerto