In Del Rio today, former Maverick County Precinct 3 Commissioner and Eagle Pass ISD teacher Jose Luis Rosales and former Maverick County Justice of the Peace and businessman Cesar Iracheta were sentenced for their roles in a bribery, kickback and bid-rigging scheme announced United States Attorney Richard Durbin, Jr., and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division.
Appearing before United States District Judge Alia Moses, Rosales was sentenced to 66 months imprisonment and 300 hours of community service. Rosales also was ordered to pay $14,185.72 in restitution. Iracheta was sentenced to 94 months imprisonment and ordered to pay $81,607.80 in restitution. On December 8, 2015, Rosales pleaded guilty to one count of receiving a bribe; Iracheta pleaded guilty to one count of paying a bribe to an agent of an organization receiving federal funds.
According to court records, Rosales admitted that during 2012, he manipulated the bidding process to guarantee that individuals he chose would be awarded Maverick County construction contracts. In the scheme, those contractors deposited the checks issued to them by Maverick County and then made cash payments to Rosales. According to court records, the private contractors submitted inflated bids to Maverick County to cover the bribe to Rosales.
Court records show Iracheta, doing business as C&A Construction in Maverick County, admitted that in 2010, he paid a total of between $8,000 and $10,000 to a Maverick County Commissioner in order to secure two Precinct 2 county construction contracts worth approximately $49,000. According to court records, Iracheta submitted inflated bids to Maverick County to cover the bribes to the county commissioner.
“The sentencing of these two defendants illustrates San Antonio FBI’s firm commitment to work with our law enforcement partners to address public corruption and hold corrupt officials in Maverick County accountable,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs. “The FBI encourages the public to continue to support our active and ongoing efforts to root out graft in South Texas by reporting corrupt activity to the FBI’s Public Corruption Hotline, 1-800-CALL-FBI.”
Rosales and Iracheta remain on bond. Rosales must self-surrender no earlier than September 12, 2016. Iracheta must self-surrender no earlier than August 24, 2016.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigative Division together with the Customs and Border Protection Office of Internal Affairs and the Eagle Pass Independent School District Police Department
Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Griffin prosecuted this case on behalf of the Government.
#####