A Honduran court sentenced former first lady Rosa Bonilla to 14 years in prison on corruption charges.
Bonilla spent the equivalent of $590,000 in funds meant for impoverished children on credit card payments, real estate, and her children’s schooling during her husband Porfirio Lobo’s term from 2010 to 2014, according to the public ministry, Reuters reported. The newest sentence is far more lenient than her previous sentence of 58 years, which was annulled by the Honduran Supreme Court in 2020 over perceived inconsistencies.
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“The former first lady Rosa Elena Bonilla has been sentenced to 14 years and one month in prison for the crimes of continued fraud and misappropriation of public funds destined for social programs,” a Supreme Court spokesman told reporters, according to the outlet.
The spokesman, Carlos Silva, also said Bonilla’s lawyer will be able to appeal the sentence within 20 days, according to the Washington Post, which she is expected to do.
Bonilla’s family and associates have been surrounded by controversy since leaving office. Her private secretary, Saul Escobar, was also sentenced on Wednesday to seven years and three months in prison on fraud charges. The U.S. government barred her husband from entering America last year, accusing him of partaking in drug trafficking.
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Two months ago, Bonilla and Lobo’s 23-year-old son, Said Omar Lobo Bonilla, was killed along with three others by gunmen in an ambush while they were leaving a club.
