Indicted Maverick County Commissioners and others have Court hearing on Tuesday, March 12th
By: Jose G. Landa
An Exclusive Eagle Pass Business Journal News Story/Copyright 2013
All three Maverick County Commissioners, Rudy Heredia, Eliaz Maldonado, and Cesar Flores, and four other separate defendants, Jose Luis Aguilar, Juan Carlos Moncada, Javier Gonzalez, and Eduardo De La Garza indicted by a federal grand jury in separate cases for bribery regarding Maverick County construction contracts ,and in the case of Heredia and Aguilar for money laundering have an important Court hearing on Tuesday, March 12, 2013, at 9:00 a.m. with United States District Judge Alia Moses of the Western District of Texas, Del Rio Division, in Del Rio, Texas.
All seven defendants have a scheduled Re-arraignment and Docket Call court hearing on Tuesday, March 12th, with U.S. District Judge Alia Moses to either advise the Court if they will continue their pleas of not guilty previously entered on their behalf and request a jury trial, or advise the Court if any of them wish to schedule a plea of guilty before the Court, or, in the alternative, request the Court for a continuance of their case to allow the parties and their attorneys additional time to review the evidence in the case and prepare for trial.
A total of 13 defendants have been indicted and charged by federal grand jury of either bribery and/or money laundering involving Maverick County except for Jose Luis Aguilar who is only charged with money laundering together with Maverick County Commissioner Rudy Heredia and David Gelacio, who has already plead guilty.
Starting in early October of 2012, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Texas Department of Public Safety began the arrests of 13 Maverick County citizens, including County Commissioners Heredia, Maldonado, and Flores, until today for alleged federal law violations.
Among the defendants who have already plead guilty include Eduardo Rene Rodriguez, Alejandra Garcia, Jaime Flores, David Gelacio, and Joe M. Rodriguez.
The FBI investigation has also caused County Commissioners Eliaz Maldonado to resign and Cesar Flores is scheduled to resign on or before March 15th. Only County Commissioner Rudy Heredia has not resigned and is temporarily suspended as County Commissioner since February 11th by visiting State District Judge Dick Alcala’s Court Order until further order of the Court or by operation of law. Local news journalist and Texas A & M University-College Station graduate, Daniela Flores-Aleman, was appointed Interim County Commissioner of Precinct 2 by District Judge Alcala on February 11th until further order of the Court or by operation of law.
District Judge Alcala also temporarily suspended County Commissioner Eliaz Maldonado and appointed local businessman and Texas A & M University-College Station engineer, Javier Libson, as Interim County Commissioner of Precinct 1 on February 11th, but since Commissioner Maldonado resigned on March 1st fulfilling the State of Texas petition of removal purpose filed by Maverick County Attorney Ricardo Ramos Judge Alcala partially dissolved his February 11th Order as to Maldonado only, allowing Maverick County Judge David Saucedo to appoint local businessman Jerry Morales as County Commissioner of Precinct 1 effective March 8th.
After a lapse of over one month from the last arrest, a federal grand jury indicted Eagle Passan Jose “Flaco” Telles, Jr. on Wednesday, March 6th, and was arrested by the FBI regarding an alleged payment of a $5,000 bribe to former County Commissioner Eliaz Maldonado in exchange for a Maverick County construction contract in Precinct 1. Telles does not have a Re-arraignment and Docket Call Court hearing scheduled on Tuesday, March 12th, as the other defendants do due to the newness of his indictment and arrest on March 6th.
The joint investigation by the FBI and Texas Rangers stunned Maverick County citizens regarding allegations of corruption and bribery within Maverick County government contracts and the public is anxiously awaiting for the legal system to adjudicate the innocence or guilt of the defendants.
All defendants who have not plead guilty are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a Court-at-Law.
