Federal Grand Jury Indictment Charges San Antonio-Area Man in Kidnapping-for-Ransom and Money Laundering Scheme

Robert Pitman, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, and A/SAC Aaron C. Rouse, San Antonio FBI, announced the arrest of San Antonio-area man Agustin Sergio DeLeon Garza, 36, and the unsealing of an indictment charging Garza with his participation in a kidnapping-for-ransom scheme and conspiring to commit money laundering violations with the proceeds of the scheme. Agents and officers with the San Antonio FBI Violent Crime Task Force arrested Garza in San Antonio early yesterday morning.

The indictment, returned on April 2, 2014, and unsealed yesterday, charges Garza with one count of conspiracy to kidnap, one count of aiding and abetting kidnapping, two counts of receipt of ransom money and aiding and abetting, one count of interstate communication of ransom, one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, and one count of aiding and abetting money laundering.

According to the indictment, from approximately October 11, 2013 through January 30, 2014, the defendant allegedly engaged in a scheme to kidnap and hold a person for ransom. The indictment further alleges that the defendant conspired with known and unknown coconspirators in communicating a demand for ransom in exchange for the release of the kidnapped victim. Furthermore, the indictment alleges that Garza received a wire transfer of U.S. currency, representing part of the proceeds of the ransom payment for his role in the scheme, and deposited part of this wire payment into a U.S. bank account.

Upon conviction, the defendant faces up to life imprisonment on the conspiracy to kidnap/aiding and abetting counts, up to 10 years’ imprisonment for each receipt of ransom money/aiding and abetting count, up to 20 years’ imprisonment for interstate communication of ransom, and up to 20 years’ imprisonment for each money laundering/aiding and abetting count.

This indictment resulted from an investigation conducted by the San Antonio FBI Violent Crimes Task Force, which includes the FBI, San Antonio Police Department, Bexar County Sheriff’s Department, New Braunfels Police Department, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Enforcement and Removal Operations, with assistance from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The investigative efforts of Mexico’s new Anti-Kidnapping Unit resulted in the initiation of this investigation.

Assistant United States Attorney Erica Benites Giese 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 defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.