National Guard Member Defects to Russia

Wilmer Puello-Mota, a former Holyoke City Councilor facing child pornography, forgery and obstruction of justice charges in Rhode Island, was alleged to have left the country days before he was set to go to trial. In April, he resurfaced on Russian state TV channels, after reportedly defecting and joining the Russian military.

Former Holyoke City Councilor Wilmer Puello-Mota has reportedly relocated to Russia and is currently residing in Moscow, where he is employed by the Russian Defense Ministry, as indicated by his Facebook profile.

On the "Will Puello" Facebook page, there is now a photo of the Kremlin in Moscow alongside an image of Puello-Mota in full military attire operating a drone.

Puello-Mota, 28, served as the representative for Holyoke's District 2 until his arrest in September 2020 in Warwick, Rhode Island, on charges of possessing child pornography. The victim, a 17-year-old, reported that Puello-Mota had sent her money via Venmo in exchange for sexually explicit photos, despite knowing she was underage.

Originally scheduled to appear in court on January 9, 2024, Puello-Mota departed the country two days earlier, boarding a flight to Istanbul, Turkey. In a March court filing, the Rhode Island Attorney General acknowledged the possibility that Puello-Mota had either absconded and joined the Russian military or fabricated the story to avoid prosecution.

By April 2024, Russian media and military bloggers circulated images and videos purportedly showing Puello-Mota signing a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry and claiming his involvement in the Russian operations in Avdiivka, Eastern Ukraine.