Anibal Acevedo Vila indicted on 18 counts of corruption

I visited Puerto Rico a month ago for the first time last year and fell in love with it. I'll admit that parts of it are dirty and the crime rate a bit concerning, but that didn't matter as much to me as the liveliness and energy I discovered.

Puerto Rico News Too bad Anibal Acevedo Vila is offering Puerto Rico the kind of publicity no one wants.

45-year-old Acevedo, who is hoping for re-election, denied his involvement in the crimes and said the indictment was politically motivated - "a spectacle designed to do me harm." AP News reported at least 5 other "co-conspirators" were taken in handcuffs into the United States federal building in San Juan earlier today.

The indictment says Acevedo and his cohorts exceeded campaign fund-raising and spending limits in 2004. It also says he made substantial (big) donations to the campaign by disguising them as payments to the campaign's public relations and media company. The indictment also accuses Acevedo of using campaign funds for his own personal use without reporting them on his income tax returns.

But Acevedo maintains his innocence. Yes, we believe you Mr. Clinton....err Spitzer...err, you know what we mean. We trust you. Why would we doubt what a politician tells us?

If you want to wash this taste of Puerto Rico out, have a look at the sunny side of the island on GoGirlfriend:

• San Juan, Puerto Rico
• Caribbean Favorite Islands
• Caribbean Festivals & Events Guide