A former 2025 contender for New York City public advocate is now facing federal wire fraud charges after prosecutors say she tried to squeeze roughly $1 million out of the city’s public matching-funds program. Angela Aquino, 47, was arrested Thursday and charged in a federal complaint unsealed in Brooklyn.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, the criminal complaint alleges Aquino spent months inflating deposits into her campaign account so it would appear she had hit the $125,000 fundraising mark needed to unlock $1 million in public matching funds. Prosecutors said she was scheduled to be arraigned Thursday afternoon in federal court in Brooklyn.
The complaint describes what it calls a “months’ long brazen scheme” by a onetime citywide candidate to tap into taxpayer money. Prosecutors say that in early 2025 more than $130,000 was wired into Aquino’s personal bank account from the Philippines, including at least $34,000 listed as a loan. From there, they allege, she repeatedly pulled out cash, cycled money through friends’ accounts, and then fed it into her campaign while submitting falsified contribution cards to make it look like the funds came from eligible New York City donors, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.
How New York’s Matching Funds Program Works
New York City’s public-financing system is built around small-dollar donations from local residents. For citywide races, the Campaign Finance Board matches qualifying contributions at an 8-to-1 rate. To qualify for matching funds in the public advocate race, a campaign has to show at least $125,000 raised from 500 eligible contributors, according to the Campaign Finance Board. Meeting that threshold can unlock up to $1 million in public funds, which investigators say was the target in this case.
Campaign Filings And Red Flags
On paper, Aquino’s campaign looked like it was doing more than fine. Public filings show her committee reported about $133,548 in monetary contributions from 1,673 contributors before the campaign folded ahead of election day.
Her attorney, John Wallenstein, pushed back on the accusations in comments to PIX11, telling the station, “We intend to vigorously defend these false allegations.”
What’s On The Public Record
The Campaign Finance Board’s candidate summary for Aquino lists $133,548 in monetary contributions, $140,788 in total receipts and 1,673 contributors. Prosecutors say those figures were central to the alleged matching-funds scheme.
Aquino is charged under 18 U.S.C. § 1343, the federal wire fraud statute, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison if convicted, according to Cornell Law School.
The case is being handled by the Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York, and the complaint lists Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Zuckerwise and Sean Sherman as the prosecutors. The charge remains an allegation, and Aquino is presumed innocent as the case moves forward. Her arraignment and additional court proceedings are expected in the coming weeks.
