Puerto Rico Political Consultant Sentenced to Three Months in Prison and Three Months...

Puerto Rico Political Consultant Sentenced to Three Months in Prison and Three
Months of Home Detention

WASHINGTON, March 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Alberto Goachet, 67, a
political consultant and aide to former Puerto Rico Sen. Jorge De Castro Font,
was sentenced today to three months in prison, three months of home detention
and three years of supervised release, announced Acting Assistant Attorney
General Rita M. Glavin of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney for the
District of Puerto Rico Rosa Emilia Rodriguez-Velez.

Goachet was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Francisco Augusto Besosa in the
District of Puerto Rico. Judge Besosa ordered Goachet to surrender no later
than April 24, 2009, by noon, at the Metropolitan Detention Center in
Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, where he will serve his sentence.

Goachet pleaded guilty on Dec. 4, 2008, to a one-count information charging
him with conspiring with De Castro Font and others to launder money provided
by a Puerto Rico businessman to De Castro Font. Goachet admitted that he, De
Castro Font and others laundered the money through the use of fake invoices
purporting to reflect legitimate payments to a political consulting firm owned
by Goachet. The false invoices were meant to conceal the businessman's illegal
payments to De Castro Font.

As part of his plea agreement, Goachet also admitted that in August 2008, he
was asked by the FBI about the money laundering scheme, and during that
interview he falsely claimed that the invoices were legitimately drafted for
services rendered to the businessman. Goachet admitted that he had denied that
the money was intended eventually for De Castro Font, when in fact he knew the
invoices were fraudulent and the money was intended for De Castro Font.

De Castro Font pleaded guilty to 20 counts of honest services wire fraud and
one count of conspiracy to commit extortion on Jan. 21, 2009. He is currently
awaiting sentencing.

This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Matthew L. Stennes of the
Criminal Division's Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys
Timothy R. Henwood and Jacqueline Novas of the District of Puerto Rico. The
case is being supervised by Section Chief William M. Welch II of the Public
Integrity Section and U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodriguez-Velez of the
District of Puerto. The case is being investigated by the FBI's San Juan Field
Office.

SOURCE U.S. Department of Justice

U.S. Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs, +1-202-514-2007, TDD
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