October 3, 2019 – A U.S. Postal Service mail carrier who claimed more than a decade of total disability related to a back injury he suffered in 1989 had his conviction affirmed by a federal appeals court Tuesday after evidence from surveillance and social media posts proved he was able to perform tasks he had claimed he couldn’t.

On appeal, he argued that the court had abused its discretion in admitting into evidence photographs taken from a Facebook page under the name of his ex-wife, in that it did not authenticate the photographs, among other claims.

In affirming his conviction, the appeals court wrote: “We conclude that sufficient evidence supported Vázquez-Soto’s convictions, and that the district court did not abuse its discretion in allowing admission of the challenged Facebook photos despite an authentication objection or in its response to the jury’s request for a transcript.” source

Puerto Rico postal worker guilty of Workers’ Comp Fraud

Friday, November 4, 2016

Today, former U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employee Rodolfo Vázquez-Soto was found guilty on all counts of fraud associated with Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP), announced United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, Rosa Emilia Rodríguez Vélez.

On August 30, 2013, Vázquez-Soto was indicted by a Federal Grand Jury in the District of Puerto Rico for charges of fraud against the OWCP. This program provides wage loss and medical benefits to employees who have become injured in the course of their official capacity within the USPS and are unable to work due to disability.

Rodolfo Vázquez-Soto was found guilty of two counts of false statements and one count of theft of government property. During trial, the government presented photos, videos and witness testimonies that proved that the defendant had been requesting and receiving unwarranted disability benefits through OWCP.

“This conviction marks yet another victory in our fight against fraud in Puerto Rico. I thank our team of prosecutors and our federal law enforcement partners for the teamwork they showed in leading us to a successful outcome today,” said Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.

The case was investigated by the USPS-OIG with the collaboration of the Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, the FBI, and the Puerto Rico Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Soto and Assistant U.S. Attorney Max Pérez.