Maverick County-Gate Defendants to be Sentenced in Federal Court

By: Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2015, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.

The much anticipated sentencing date of 15 criminal defendants arising from the largest corruption, bribery, and kick-back scheme investigation in Eagle Pass and Maverick County, Texas by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Texas Rangers will commence on Monday, February 23, 2025 and continue through Thursday, February 26, 2015 before United States District Court Judge Alia Moses of the Western District of Texas, Del Rio Division, in Del Rio, Texas, including three former Maverick County Commissioners Rudy Heredia, Cesar Flores, and Eliaz Maldonado.

A joint FBI and Texas Rangers investigation of corruption, bribery, and kick-back scheme involving public construction contracts in Maverick County during 2009 through 2012 resulted in the indictment of over 15 persons. Many of the public construction contract funds were from a multimillion dollar grant received by Maverick County from the Texas Department of Transportation to pave and improve County roads and streets and other state and/or federal funds.

The joint federal and state corruption investigation focused on Maverick County Commissioners Court which approved most, if not all, of these public construction contracts for projects within their respective precincts, resulting in federal criminal indictments against former Maverick County Commissioners Rudy Heredia of Precinct 1, Cesar Flores of Precinct 4, and Eliaz Maldonado of Precinct 1. All three former Maverick County Commissioners resigned before pleading guilty to at least one count of their respective indictments.

Leading the federal sentencing in Maverick County-Gate is former Assistant Maverick County Auditor Alejandra Garcia on Monday, February 23, 2015, at 10:20 A.M. followed by former Maverick County Commissioner Rodolfo “Rudy” Bainet Heredia at 11:00 A.M., and former Maverick County Commissioner Cesar Flores at 2 P.M..

The following day, Tuesday, February 24, 2015, scheduled to be sentenced are Eduardo Rene Rodriguez at 10 A.M. followed by Eduardo De La Garza at 11 A.M., former Maverick County employee and brother of Commissioner Cesar Flores, Jaime Flores, and Jose M. Rodriguez at 3 P.M..

On Wednesday, February 25, 2015, scheduled to be sentenced are Saul Lombrana at 10:30 A.M. followed by Salvador Castillon at 11 A.M., Jose Telles, Jr. at 2 P.M., and Marcelo Alvarez at 3 P.M..

The following day on Thursday, February 26, 2015, scheduled to be sentenced are former Maverick County Commissioner Eliaz Maldonado at 10:20 A.M. followed by former Maverick County Juvenile Probation Officer and Contractor Javier Gonzalez at 11 A.M., former Maverick County Landfill General Manager Hector Daniel Chavez, Jr. at 2 P.M., and German Garcia Cano at 3 P.M..

Also indicted in this joint federal and state investigation is former Eagle Pass TVAW Cable Access Television Broadcaster Alejandro Wheeler who absconded before being arrested and remains a fugitive of the law.