One Individual Charged with Failure to Pay Legal Child Support

SAN JUAN, P.R. – On June 20, 2012, a grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Julio A. García-Encarnación, a well-known and highly appraised race horse jockey, with failure to pay legal child support obligations, announced United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez. The defendant was arrested late last night at the Newark Liberty International Airport by agents of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG).

Defendant García-Encarnación, is the registered parent of a minor who was born on October 1995 and since on or about January 2008, the defendant failed to comply with his child support obligation. As of May 2012, the past due amount of child support owed by García-Encarnación amounts to approximately $65, 152.00.

García-Encarnación is also the biological and registered parent of another minor who was born in January 1996. García-Encarnación has failed to pay child support to his daughter since October 2007. As of May 2012, the defendant's failure to comply with his child support obligation in relation to his daughter has accrued a past due amount of approximately $100,848.42.

"The defendant is a well-known horse jockey, currently racing in the States of California and Florida and has won several significant events in the sport of horse racing, including the prestigious Lexington Stakes on April 23, 2012," said United States Attorney, Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez. "Today's arrest demonstrates that the Federal and State authorities will continue working together investigating and prosecuting parents who fail to meet their obligations under the Child Support Recovery Act."

"The OIG will pursue those noncustodial parents who avoid their court ordered child support payments. Our focus in these cases continues to be the children," said Special Agent in Charge Tom O'Donnell of the Office of Inspector General's New York Regional Office, which also covers Puerto Rico.

If convicted, the defendant faces up to two (2) years in prison on the child support charges with fines up to $250,000 dollars.

The investigation was conducted by the Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General with the assistance of ASUME (Puerto Rico Child Support Enforcement Administration). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Héctor Ramírez-Carbó and Wallace A. Bustelo.

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