A former Air National Guard member charged with child pornography defected and joined the Russian military in the war against Ukraine, the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office claims.
Wilmer Puelomota, 28, a former security forces technical sergeant in the Massachusetts Air National Guard, is said to have fled the country after being charged with possessing child pornography.
Don Veitch, a spokesman for the 104th Fighter Wing in Massachusetts, told Military.com, “We are aware that Mr. Puelomota has left the country in response to civil criminal charges,” adding that the charges are “very unlikely.” It’s serious,” he said. ”
As a result of the charges, Puelomota was dismissed from the National Guard in October 2022.
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Wilmer Puelomota, 28, a former security forces technical sergeant in the Massachusetts Air National Guard, is said to have fled the country after being charged with possessing child pornography. (St. Petersburg)
“Criminal conduct is inconsistent with our values as an organization and will not be tolerated in our ranks,” Veach said.
Prior to joining the National Guard, Puelomota served in the active-duty Air Force and also served as a security forces airman, according to an Air Force press release about the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing’s 2015 deployment to Afghanistan.
Puelomota was charged with possession of child pornography in 2020 after he allegedly solicited nude photos from teenagers, according to legal documents, Military.com reported. He served as a City Council member in Holyoke, Massachusetts, from January 2022 to January 2024, and was responsible for most of the legal proceedings related to the charges.
Puero Mota’s last known location was Istanbul, Turkey, according to court documents from Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha’s office, according to Military.com. He boarded a plane on January 7, two days before he was scheduled to appear in court on child pornography charges, and departed for Turkey from Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia.
Puero Mota’s Facebook posts, as well as Telegram posts from other users believed to be in Russia, allege that the former Guardsman has joined the Russian military in the ongoing war against Ukraine.
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Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha (pictured)’s office, Wilmer Puelo-Mota’s last known location was Istanbul, Turkey. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)
In a post on Telegram, a video shows a user claiming to be Puelo Mota and serving in the Russian army.
“Will used to serve in the US military, but a few months ago he came to the Northern Military District as a volunteer after realizing what was really going on in Ukraine,” the video reads. “I stood shoulder to shoulder with the Russians and liberated Avdiivka.”
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It is unclear whether the social media posts are genuine, but they are considered evidence that Puelo Mota has left U.S. jurisdiction, according to court documents.
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said in a statement: “The state received photos and videos purporting to represent the defendant in Russia and Ukraine, where he is said 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, and if they are false, the defendant may have no knowledge of his whereabouts. It’s a clever trick to hide it.”
