Puerto Rico’s Office of the Comptroller reported on Monday that it identified improper payments of more than $13 million to accounts of deceased retirees in four government retirement systems. The investigation also found deposits and checks issued years after the deaths. Comptroller Carmen Vega Fournier said in a written statement that the findings show an urgent need to strengthen controls and information sharing to stop payments promptly after a retiree dies.
The report covered disbursements from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2025 by the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA (AEE), PREPA) Retirement System, the Government Employees and Judiciary Retirement Systems Administration, the Teachers Retirement System and the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) Retirement Trust. Investigators identified 56,712 payments made more than 60 days after the death of the retiree or beneficiary.
The Government Employees and Judiciary Retirement Systems Administration accounts for the most: $8,793,181 in 24,380 payments to 5,658 accounts. The Teachers Retirement System made 24,682 payments totaling $2,418,436 to 3,193 accounts; the PREPA system made 1,424 payments of $1,055,888 to 201 accounts; and the UPR trust made 802 payments of $990,072 to 128 accounts. One person who died on February 1, 2016 had 93 checks totaling $75,462 issued through August 31, 2026; some were deposited at a Kansas bank, and AI comparison found endorsement signatures differed from the retiree’s earlier signature.
A sample also showed 339 deposits of $91,897 to debit cards of 32 deceased retirees. Referrals went to the systems’ administrators and the Department of Justice on October 27, 2026. Justice Secretary Lourdes Gómez Torres was advised to evaluate legal action to recover the funds and prosecute possible illegal appropriation.