Angela Aquino ran for New York City public advocate in 2025. FILE PHOTO
LOS ANGELES – A Filipino American former candidate for New York City public advocate has pleaded guilty to wire fraud in a scheme to fraudulently obtain $1 million in taxpayer-funded campaign matching funds, federal prosecutors said.
Angela Aquino, 47, entered her guilty plea Thursday in federal court in Brooklyn before US Magistrate Judge Vera Scanlon, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.
She faces up to 20 years in prison at sentencing.
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PROCUREMENT & EXPENDITURE (STOPPING KICKBACKS)
Procurement fraud usually involves inflated invoices or “fictitious” vendors.
- The Three-Way Match: Never pay an invoice unless you have matched the Purchase Order (PO), the Delivery Note (signed), and the Supplier Invoice.
- Vendor Master File Review: Review your vendor list annually. Look for suppliers with the same bank details or physical addresses as your employees.
- Dual Authorization: Implement a “Two-to-Sign” rule for all EFT payments above a certain threshold (e.g., R5,000).
- No “Cashing” of Checks: If you still use physical checks, strictly prohibit “Cash” as a payee and store blank checks in a dual-lock safe.