Abel Nazario

Abel Nazario Quiñones (born 24 June 1970) is former senator at large of the 26th Senate of Puerto Rico and was mayor of Yauco, Puerto Rico. He was first elected in 2000 representing the New Progressive Party (PNP). He was reelected in 2004 , 2008 and 2012.[1][2][3][4] Nazario is also the vice president[5] of the PNP and also for the local Republican Party.[6] He was arrested on 12 September 2018 by the FBI for illegal appropriation of federal funds.[7]

Abel Nazario
Member of the Puerto Rico Senate at large
In office
2 January 2017 – 24 March 2020
Mayor of Yauco
In office
2 January 2001 – 2 January 2017
Preceded byPedro Jaime Torres
Succeeded byÁngel Luis Torres Ortiz
Personal details
Born (1970-06-24) 24 June 1970
Springfield, Massachusetts
Political partyNew Progressive Party (PNP) (until 2020); Independent (since 2020)
Residence(s)Yauco, Puerto Rico
Alma materInteramerican University of Puerto Rico
OccupationPolitician

Political career

Graduated with a Bachelor's degree in politican science and a Master's degree in criminal justice from the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico. Prior to serving as mayor, Nazario served as staff director of the Senate of Puerto Rico Committee on Tourism, chaired by then-senator Enrique Rodríguez Negrón. As such, he was instrumental in the passage of most of the bills in then executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company Luis Fortuño's legislative agenda, including a new Casino Law. Fortuño later on became Governor of Puerto Rico in 2008 in what was the biggest margin of any election in Puerto Rico.[8] On his actual working days, Abel Nazario is known for being one of the many mayors to reduce his salary from $3,000 (2012 amount) to $1,500 (actual salary). He also had other sources of income, including professor of the University of North East (UNE), etc.[9][10]

He succeeded as senator-at-large in the 2016 General Election. As of 2017, he is the president of the Senate of Puerto Ricos Committee on Education and University Reform|Education and University Reform.[11]

Arrest and conviction

On 12 September 2018, Senator Nazario was arrested at 6 a.m. by FBI agents as part of an ongoing investigation into misuse of public funds and corruption.[12] After his release from custody while awaiting trial the Senator organized fundraising activities for his legal defense.[13][14] On March 21, 2020, he was found guilty on 28 of the 31 charges against him.[15] In 2021 he was sentenced to a 18 months in prison and ordered to pay his victims, municipal employees, compensation.[16][17]

References
  1. "CEE Event". 64.185.222.182. Archived from the original on 4 August 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  2. Elecciones Generales 2000: Alcalde de Yauco Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine on CEEPUR
  3. Elecciones Generales 2004: Alcalde de Yauco Archived 12 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine on CEEPUR
  4. Elecciones Generales 2008: Alcalde de Yauco Archived 14 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine on CEEPUR
  5. @Cindy_Andreina, Cindy Burgos. "Pierluisi les sale al paso a los "cizañeros"". Archived from the original on 2 October 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  6. "Partido Republicano de Puerto Rico revalida escaños en Asamblea en Yauco". Archived from the original on 1 October 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  7. Rico, Metro Puerto. "Arrestan al senador Abel Nazario". Metro. Archived from the original on 12 September 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  8. "Luis Fortuño gana la gobernación de Puerto Rico". El Informador :: Noticias de Jalisco, México, Deportes & Entretenimiento. Archived from the original on 29 September 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  9. Alcaldes con unos sueldos de envidia Archived 25 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine from Primera Hora
  10. Frances Rosario (22 September 2011). "Los alcaldes penepés son los mejor pagos". El Nuevo Día. Archived from the original on 26 January 2012. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  11. "Home". Archived from the original on 24 October 2017. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
  12. Colón Dávila, Javier (12 September 2018). "El FBI arresta a Abel Nazario por el pago irregular de la nómina en Yauco". El Nuevo Dia (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 7 January 2019. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  13. "Aparecen las donaciones para la defensa de Abel Nazario". Primera Hora (in Spanish). 8 October 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  14. Collazo, Fernando A. "Más de 100 actividades para recaudar fondos para defender a Abel Nazario". Metro (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  15. Velázquez, Melissa Correa. "Culpable Abel Nazario en 28 de los 34 cargos que pesaban en su contra". El Vocero de Puerto Rico (in Spanish).
  16. "Sentencian a Abel Nazario a 18 meses de cárcel | Ley y orden | elvocero.com". www.elvocero.com. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  17. Serrano, Oscar J. "Abel Nazario tendrá que pagar casi $20,000 a las víctimas de sus delitos administrativos". www.noticel.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 May 2021.
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