ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The Department of Justice held a press conference in Albany on Friday to announce a multimillion-dollar fraud conviction. You can watch the full press conference in the video player above.
Officials said Jael Watts, 45, of Alloway, New Jersey, and Luis Pino-Copete, 42, of Bogota, Colombia, were convicted after a multi-week trial for a nationwide fraud scheme. The defendants were convicted of creating a fake transportation company called Pearl Transit Corporation and stealing real people’s identities to be drivers and customers of the fake company.
From July 2019 to October 2025, the defendents stole over $1.6 million in funds from federal programs meant for elderly, disabled and homeless residents. Officials said they used the money to live a “lavish” lifestyle. Watts and Pino-Copete also sought reimbursement of $13 million in federal funds…