Ex Puerto Rico official pleads guilty in corruption case
The former president of Puerto Rico's House of Representatives pleaded guilty Monday in a 2017 corruption case in which he was ordered to pay a fine but will not face prison time.
Jaime Perelló entered his plea as part of an agreement with the government following an investigation by Puerto Rico's Special Independent Prosecutor Panel. Perelló faced charges including extortion and illegal enrichment but pleaded guilty to lesser charges and said he felt revindicated by the outcome.
The case involved what authorities said was a fraudulently awarded contract of nearly $500,000 to set up a phone system in the island's House of Representatives. Several government officials and employees have been sentenced to prison in the case.