Federal Authorities Arrest One County Employee, One Former County Employee, and an Accomplice for Allegedly Stealing Money from Maverick County
Indictment Alleges That Defendants Stole Money Intended to Purchase Equipment to Benefit Maverick County

In Eagle Pass today, federal agents arrested one current and one former Maverick County employee, as well as an accomplice, charged with wire fraud and stealing approximately $17,500 in County funds announced United States Attorney Robert Pitman and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Armando Fernandez.

A four–count federal grand jury indictment, returned yesterday and unsealed today, charges former Maverick County Purchasing Agent Juan Carlos Moncada, age 32; 33-year-old Maverick County Precinct One Foreman Jaime Flores; and 37–year-old Eagle Pass resident Joe M. Rodriguez with two counts of wire fraud. Moncada and Flores are also charged with one count of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds; Rodriguez with aiding and abetting theft concerning programs receiving federal funds.

According to the indictment, in September 2011, the Maverick County Commissioner’s Court approved the purchase of a forklift to aid in county food distribution. The indictment states that Flores signed a hand-written invoice indicating that he received a 15,000 pound forklift from Rodriguez’s company, Capitol Construction. Maverick County subsequently issued Capitol Construction a check for $9,700, which Rodriguez deposited into a bank account he controlled. The indictment also states that in October 2011, Maverick County issued an additional check to Capitol Construction in the amount of $7,870 for a “Motor for Water Truck and Forklift,” which Rodriguez also deposited into his account. Furthermore, the indictment states that Moncada provided the Maverick County auditor paperwork, including a photograph of a forklift, falsely claiming that Maverick County had received the forklift from Capitol Construction. The indictment alleges that, in fact, Moncada and Flores took photographs of a privately owned forklift to submit with the paperwork, knowing that Maverick County had not received the forklift from Capitol Construction. According to the indictment, as of October 10, 2012, Rodriguez had not provided the forklift or the “Motor for Water Truck and Forklift” to Maverick County.

Upon conviction, each faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud charge and up to 10 years in federal prison for the theft related charge.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Galdo is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

An indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.