Wilmer Puello-Mota, a former U.S. Air Force Veteran who was charged with possession of child pornography, has resurfaced. Puello-Mota fled the U.S., and has now been seen in a Russian propaganda video.
In the video, released by Russia’s Defense Ministry, Puello-Mota, 28, claims to be a reconnaissance drone operator fighting for Russian forces in Ukraine’s Donetsk region.
He appears in the video using the call sign “Boston” and insists he is not a traitor, asserting that the U.S. and Russia are not at war.
Puello-Mota fled the U.S. in January. He left just days before he was set to plead guilty to possessing explicit images of a 17-year-old girl. His lawyer, John Cicilline, had confirmed that Puello-Mota mentioned joining the Russian army. That was something Cicilline initially thought was a joke.
Instead of addressing the charges in the video, Puello-Mota highlights his military experience. He speaks about having served in Afghanistan and later with the Massachusetts Air National Guard. Russian media has reported that he now holds Russian citizenship.
The charges Puello-Mota escaped include possession of sexually explicit images of a minor and fabricating military documents to reduce his sentence. Despite efforts by the Holyoke City Council to remove him from office following his arrest, Puello-Mota continued to serve as a council member until his departure from the U.S.
Holyoke City Council President Tessa Murphy-Romboletti confirmed that the man in the video is indeed Puello-Mota.