Cousins of the governor of Puerto Rico will plead guilty to corruption

According to a court document published on social media on Monday, Walter and Eduardo Pierluisi, who are cousins of the governor of Puerto Rico, are set to plead guilty on Thursday for an alleged criminal investigation. The electronic calendar of the Federal Court of San Juan confirms that federal judge Camille Vélez Rivé will preside over a hearing where the Pierluisi brothers will waive the accusation of the grand jury and plead guilty, as agreed with the public prosecutor. Walter Pierluisi will be represented by lawyers Eduardo Ferrer and Osvaldo Carlo, while his brother will be represented by lawyers María Domínguez and Javier Micheo.

The court entry, however, does not disclose the nature of the charges or the federal prosecutors involved in the case. On October 20, the FBI, the federal Department of Housing, and the United States Office of the Inspector General raided the headquarters of American Management and the Pierluisi Isern Law Office in San Juan, both of which are owned by Walter Pierluisi. The authorities also searched the residence of Eduardo Pierluisi. A month after the search, the Public Housing Administration terminated the contracts of American Management, which had been managing public housing in 34 municipalities since 1995.

The governor has distanced himself from his “third cousins” despite their significant roles in his political campaigns. He confirmed that they are relatives, but he did not have any information about the reason for the raids, the suspect’s identity, or the purpose of the investigation. Pierluisi stated that the FBI did not contact him with information about the raids because it is not the agency’s practice, and he did not communicate with his relative. He also pledged to fully cooperate with the investigation, just as he would in any other federal inquiry.