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LATINO BLOTTER: Colombian Convicted of Stealing Over $1 Million from Program for At-Risk Kids
Former Portland resident Gerardo Mosquera was convicted in the United States District Court last Thursday of stealing from a program that provides food to underprivileged children.
Mosquera, 42, was convicted of two counts of theft from the program. He has been in custody while awaiting trial since his extradition from his native Colombia in December. Mosquera will remain in custody until his sentencing, which is set for December 12, 2012, before U.S. District Court Judge Marco A. Hernandez.
Mosquera could face up to 120 months in prison, pursuant to federal sentencing guidelines. According to the indictment, Mosquera made claims to the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) for meals he never served to children at various program sites in the Portland area. Between 2003 and 2009, Mosquera, doing business as Diversity Initiatives, was paid more than $1.6 million by the ODE. ODE representatives became suspicious when they observed that the number of sites served by Mosquera had decreased, but the number of meals claimed by Mosquera had increased.
A subsequent audit by ODE revealed the theft had been ongoing for at least two years and that approximately 100,000 meals claimed by Mosquera had never been provided.
Published in Notitas de Noticias
2012-09-10 11:17:46
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