Special Independent Prosecutors Ramón Mendoza Rosario, Fabiola Acarón Porrata-Doria and Gisela Alfonso Fernández filed ten criminal charges against José Miguel Huertas Torres and the 3T Industrial and General Contractors Corp. for their alleged participation in a fraud scheme and illegal appropriation of $380,000 in public funds, meant for an infrastructure project in the Quebrada Margarita […]
Special Independent Prosecutors Ramón Mendoza Rosario, Fabiola Acarón Porrata-Doria and Gisela Alfonso Fernández filed ten criminal charges against José Miguel Huertas Torres and the 3T Industrial and General Contractors Corp. for their alleged participation in a fraud scheme and illegal appropriation of $380,000 in public funds, meant for an infrastructure project in the Quebrada Margarita area in the Guaynabo municipality.
The charges include two violations of Article 202 of the Puerto Rico Penal Code for fraud and eight counts of violating Article 182 for embezzlement of public funds.
After reviewing the evidence and hearing the legal arguments from both parties, Judge Milagros Muñiz Más, of the Bayamon Tribunal, found probable cause for arrest on all charges and set bail at $20,000 per charge, for a total of $200,000.
The preliminary hearing has been scheduled for July 14, 2026.
Following the filing of these charges, the Special Independent Prosecutor Panel (SIP Panel)reaffirmed its commitment to combating governmental corruption in Puerto Rico. Ygrí Rivera Sánchez, president of SIP Panel, indicated that the institution will continue to closely monitor the management of public funds.
According to the investigation, the Land Authority had contracted Huertas Torres as the engineer overseeing projects in Bayamon. In that role, he also served as a link between the agency and nonprofit organizations that received public funds and the legislators who secured those appropriations.
Prosecutors further allege that public property was diverted for personal use and the public funds were illegally misused.
The criminal case traces back to a broader investigation into public funds appropriated for the channelization of Margarita Creek in Guaynabo. The allegations were first brought to public attention through an investigative report by journalist Arnaldo Rojas, broadcast by Las Noticias on TeleOnce under its former Investigative Unit, which documented that the publicly funded infrastructure project had allegedly never been carried out despite the allocation of government funds.
The case follows a n earlier ruling, issued last November, when a judge from the Bayamón Court had found grounds for arrest against Huertas Torres and Dorally Rivera Martínez, former executive director of the Land Authority, for the alleged embezzlement of up to $7 million in public funds, including $1.2 million allocated as part of the Municipal Improvements Fund, known as the “barrilito.”
According to local media reports, Huertas Torres was affiliated with the New Progressive Party (PNP) and allegedly received more than $580,000 while simultaneously serving as a government employee and a legislative contractor, an arrangement that was reported to be prohibited under Puerto Rico law.
Among the elected officials for whom he worked for were Soto, the convicted former mayor of Guaynabo and former representative Ángel Pérez Otero, representatives Luis “Junior” Pérez and Lourdes Ramos, and senators Carmelo Ríos and Migdalia Padilla.
