All five defendants in City of Eagle Pass gasoline fraud case have plead guilty

By: Jose G. Landa
An Exclusive Eagle Pass Business Journal News Story/Copyright 2013

All five defendants indicted and arrested in the City of Eagle Pass gasoline fraud case have plead guilty in federal court in Del Rio, Texas, including Edgar Aguilar, Rene Castillo, Elizabeth Vivian, Ricardo Hernandez-Espinoza, and Armando Ojeda-Nuncio.

The five defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, Del Rio Division, on several counts including conspiracy to defraud the United States by using City of Eagle Pass, Texas fuelman gasoline cards issued to the City Public Works Department for almost $70,000 in unauthorized gasoline purchases. City of Eagle Pass Public Works Department former employee, Edgar Aguilar, is credited as being the mastermind of this conspiracy for using City Public Works Department fuelman gasoline cards to allow unauthorized third parties to pump fuel into their private vehicles and paying him one-half (50%) of the total value of gasoline pumped in cash.

Edgar Aguilar plead guilty on November 29, 2012, before United States District Judge Alia Moses of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, Del Rio Division, and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 12, 2013, by U.S. District Judge Alia Moses. On February 14th, Edgar Aguilar’s pretrial release bond was revoked by U.S. Magistrate Judge Collis White for violating the terms of his pretrial bond supervision conditions and ordered to be detained until sentencing.

Co-defendant Rene Castillo plead guilty on November 29, 2012, before U.S. District Judge Alia Moses of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, Del Rio Division, and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 12, 2013, by U.S. District Judge Alia Moses.

Co-defendant Elizabeth Vivian plead guilty on November 29, 2012, before U.S. District Judge Alia Moses of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, Del Rio Division, and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 12, 2013, by U.S. District Judge Alia Moses.

Co-defendant Ricardo Hernandez-Espinoza plead guilty on December 6, 2012 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Collis White of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, Del Rio Division, and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 15, 2013, by U.S. District Judge Alia Moses.

Co-defendant Armando Ojeda-Nuncio was the last of the five defendants to plead guilty on January 15, 2013, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Collis White of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, Del Rio Division, and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 24, 2013, by U.S. District Judge Alia Moses.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas, Del Rio Division, is currently reviewing the facts of the City of Eagle Pass gasoline card fraud case to determine if there are any additional potential defendants to present to the federal grand jury for indictment in this same case.