Hartford Man Linked To East Hartford Amber Alert Stole Government Benefits: Feds

HARTFORD/EAST HARTFORD, CT — The Hartford man taken into custody related to an East Hartford Amber Alert on Saturday was expected to appear in federal court Monday after pleading guilty to wire fraud.

On Saturday, Sept. 20, East Hartford and state police scrambled when Hartford resident Ricardo Santiago, 59, and his 11-year-old daughter turned up missing.

The East Hartford Police Department issued an Amber Alert Saturday afternoon and, less than an hour later, the girl was found safe and reunited with her mother.

The EHPD said Santiago was in custody, with a department spokesman Monday saying he has not been charged in connection with Saturday's incident.

The incident Saturday, however, came two days before a planned court appearance in the U.S. District Court in Hartford.

Santiago was slated to go before a federal judge for sentencing on Monday, Sept. 22, regarding a guilty plea last February to wire fraud.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Hartford, Santiago is a convicted felon following his guilty plea regarding accusations of fraudulently obtaining Social Security, unemployment, and SNAP (Food Stamp) benefits.

Those prior accusations stem from a more than two-decade scheme of fraud against the government from 2002 to 2204, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Hartford.

According to federal authorities, Santiago agreed to pay back the state some $371,686 in restitution for receiving benefits he wasn't eligible for.

For the full case history, click on this link.

From Sept. 20: 'Amber Alert Cancelled, 11-Year-Old Girl Found, Father In Custody, East Hartford Police Say'

From Feb. 25: 'Hartford Man Pleads Guilty To Stealing $372K From Government: Feds'