Comptroller reveals fraudulent billing for psychology services at the Eugenio Brac elementary school in Naguabo
The Office of the Comptroller of Puerto Rico (OCPR) published today the result of an investigation of a complaint about alleged irregularities related to psychological therapy services at the Eugenio Brac Elementary School in Naguabo. The specialist was contracted by a private company under the Secretarial Unit of the Complaints and Provisional Remedy Procedure of the Department of Education of Puerto Rico.
The investigation revealed that the specialist fraudulently certified that from September 26, 2023 to March 27, 2024 she had provided 77 therapy services to 23 students. The specialist billed 39 services that corresponded to periods outside of school hours, in the absence of the teachers and students, and even on Saturdays. In addition, she billed 38 psychology services on days and hours when she was working at a store located in a shopping mall.
The auditors validated with five parents of the students that their children had not received therapies outside of school hours and that the signatures on 31 monthly service certifications were not theirs, nor had they authorized anyone to sign for them. Through sworn statements, three educators declared that some of the company's documents had forged teacher signatures.
The specialist improperly collected $5,035. In this regard, crimes classified in Act 146-2012, Penal Code of Puerto Rico, may have been committed.
This situation was referred to the secretary of Justice on February 21, 2025 to evaluate the possible violation of laws and/or regulations, and to the commissioner of the Bureau of Special Investigations to take the measures it deems pertinent.
We also recommend that the inspector general of the Office of the Inspector General consider expanding the scope of the review of the services billed by the specialist, and that the secretary of Education take the pertinent administrative measures.
From September 1, 2023 to April 30, 2024, the specialist collected $73,800 for 1,125 therapies. For this period, the Department of Education had disbursed $1.3 million for 22,744 therapies to this company.
This report, the result of the investigation of a complaint, is dated May 22, 2025.
The Report OC-25-81 can be obtained on our website: www.ocpr.gov.pr.
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