A convicted con-artist, now assigned a job with the Department of Parks and Recreation under a federally funded program overseen by Guam Department of Labor.  

Evan Montvel-Cohen, who won his appeal in the District Court of Guam to serve less jail time, is back on island after being released from the US Bureau of Prison in February. 

According to a Government of Guam personnel action form, he was brought on about 20 days after being released to serve as a laborer under DOL’s Workforce Innovation And Opportunity Act - Dislocated Worker Program. 

An unclassified appointment that pays more than $28,000 salary and is federally funded. 

KUAM reached out to Guam DOL Spokesperson Janela Carrera about Montvel-Cohen's employment.

“Generally speaking if Mr. Montvel-Cohen is someone that came into our office and was looking for assistance with employment and he was for long-term unemployed and he needed assistance with employment and he went through the background check he probably would meet the long term requirements for long term unemployment,” said Carrera.

You may recall, Montvel-Cohen pleaded guilty to charges of bank fraud and use of means of identification in furtherance of fraud.

The feds contend in one scheme, he used another man’s identity to rent a home in Tamuning to have an affair but never paid rent.  

The other, he offered a man a job at the advertising firm C2 social in 2019, and sent the man a check to relocate to Guam but the check bounced.

KUAM said, “I’m sure you can understand Janela that public perception – this could be concerning, alarming even.” 

“Absolutely. Yes we do understand but these are the programs that we also over and we don’t discriminate based on who is applying. The program doesn’t tell us we cannot assist this individual because of public perception or because of what this individual did,” said Carrera. 

A mandate they must follow for the program.

She adds Guam DOL is working on a program that specifically provides assistance to ex-offenders and justice-involved individuals similar to the residential substance abuse treatment program.