A former Air National Guardsman, Wilmer Puello-Mota, 28, is facing serious allegations after reportedly defecting and joining the Russian army in its war against Ukraine. Puello-Mota, a former security forces technical sergeant with the Massachusetts Air National Guard, allegedly fled the country following charges of possession of child pornography.
Puello-Mota's departure came in response to civil criminal charges filed against him, leading to his removal from the National Guard in October 2022. The charges of possession of child pornography stemmed from an incident in 2020 where he allegedly solicited nude photos from a teenager.
Before his time in the National Guard, Puello-Mota served in the active-duty Air Force as a security forces airman. He was also a city councilman in Holyoke, Massachusetts, from January 2022 to January 2024.
According to court documents from the Rhode Island Attorney General's office, Puello-Mota's last known location was Istanbul, Turkey. He boarded a flight on Jan. 7, just two days before his scheduled court appearance for the child pornography charges, departing from Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia for Turkey.
Social media posts from Puello-Mota and other users on Telegram suggest that he joined the Russian army in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. While the authenticity of these posts remains unverified, they are being considered as evidence that Puello-Mota has left U.S. jurisdiction.
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha stated, 'The state has received photos and videos purporting to be the defendant in Russia and Ukraine, where he is alleged to have joined the Russian military. While the state cannot verify the authenticity of the videos and photographs, if they are accurate, the defendant is well beyond the jurisdiction of this court.'
