Holyoke Councilor accused of violating bail with Halloween party visit

HOLYOKE Rhode Island prosecutors Thursday accused Holyoke Ward 2 City Councilor Wilmer E. Puello-Mota of violating his bail on pending possession of child pornography charges when he attended a childrens Halloween party last month at Morgan School here.

The Rhode Island Attorney Generals Office filed a notice of bail violation Thursday, according to court records.

The notice was filed after an investigation confirmed that the defendant in late October had attended an event with juveniles in Holyoke, Massachusetts, in violation of a bail condition in the pending child pornography case that he not have contact with juveniles, Attorney Generals Office spokesman Brian Hodge wrote in a statement.

During a hearing Thursday, the Attorney Generals Office argued that Puello-Mota be held at without bail, and that a bail violation hearing be scheduled for a future date.

The Court instead allowed the defendant to admit that he had violated a condition of his bail by having contact with juveniles, and then turned to the issue of the appropriate sentence for the bail violation, Hodge wrote.

The Attorney Generals Office asked that the court impose a sentence of 60 days to serve on the bail violation.

Over this Offices objection, the Court instead released the defendant on personal recognizance, the same bail previously set in the child pornography case, Hodge wrote. The defendant remains under a court imposed no-contact order barring contact with juveniles, except for his daughter. The defendant is scheduled for a pretrial conference in the child pornography case and in a separate forgery case on Tuesday, December 6.

Puello-Mota faces felony possession of child pornography charges in Rhode Island. Warwick police found explicit images of a 17-year-old girl on Puello-Motas phone in May 2020. Puello-Mota had called police after he was confronted by friends of the girl and had property, including a handgun, go missing, according to court documents.

State School Receiver Superintendent Anthony Soto barred Puello-Mota Monday from Holyoke schools and said he spoke with Holyoke Police Chief David Pratt about the situation at Morgan School.

I emailed Councilor Puello, informing him that he is not to visit any Holyoke Public Schools without requesting permission from me in advance, Soto said in a written statement Monday. I was not aware that Councilor Puello participated in the Halloween event at Morgan School until after it had happened. I have since informed all Holyoke Public Schools principals that Councilor Puello should not be given access to their schools or be admitted to any school events without my prior knowledge and approval.

Puello-Mota, 26, of Main Street in Holyoke, said by phone Thursday that his bail was not revoked in Rhode Island court and that his attorney there, John M. Cicilline, will ask the Rhode Island court to modify the bail conditions. Puello-Mota said he is happy the bail restrictions do not keep him from his own daughter.

Cicilline didnt return calls seeking comment Thursday.

Puello-Mota said he went to the Halloween event to support the community in one of Holyokes poorest wards.

He is also currently serving on the Holyoke City Council, having won in court in Massachusetts to avoid expulsion.

In 2020, the 17-year-old girl told police that Puello-Mota was her sugar daddy and they had met on a website, according to court documents. She told investigators he sent her payments through Venmo in exchange for explicit videos.

Puello-Mota told police he first thought she was 22, but later learned she was 17, according to court documents.

Her friends were questioned in the theft, according to court documents.

The obstruction and forgery and counterfeiting charges stem from how Rhode Island authorities have accused him of deceiving prosecutors and his commanders in the Massachusetts Air National Guard in an apparent attempt to keep his job following the child porn charges, according to court documents.

Puello-Mota is accused of having someone pose as his commander at the Air Guards 104th Fighter Wing base at Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport for a telephone call with the prosecutor and that he forged a memorandum in which he sought to be cleared for a deployment with the 104th.

Puello-Mota appeared in a Rhode Island courtroom last week and pled not guilty to forgery and obstruction of justice charges.

At the Nov. 1 City Council meeting, Ward 3 Councilor David Bartley said Puello-Mota and him participated in Morgan Schools Family Fun Night, a Halloween celebration for children sponsored by the Hampden County Sheriffs Office.

Will (Puello-Mota) and myself, we just had a line for 45 minutes of children in costumes. It was a really great event and another half-hour of sporadic attendance. So, it was really well attended and well organized by the Morgan staff. We were happy to participate, Bartley told councilors.

Bartley and Puello-Mota handed out candy to the families under the City Council banner. However, Bartley said he was unaware of Puello-Motas bail condition of no contact with children.

Bartley stated in an email: I volunteered to participate in what turned out to be a fun, family-oriented event. The kids and their parents were great and were appreciative of all who helped. I think there were 7 or 8 other tables set up, and the kids just helped themselves to the candy placed on each table.

Bartley continued, We set up our table and spent about an hour and a half handing out candy to the children and their parents. No councilor other than Wil helped but were all busy, and I get it. Wils participation was greatly appreciated by me.

Across the aisle from our table was a uniformed Holyoke police officer, who I presumed was the schools designated resource officer. Also present was a member of the Hampden County Sheriffs Dept.