Ah, the semantics of it!
If you were doing business in Abel Limas' court, it appears that it was up to his personal understanding of what was happening that determined in the end whether you were bribing him or lending him money.
And, if he thought it was a bribe at the time and you thought it was a loan but he didn't tell you (his so-called Code of Silence), you are liable to find out at the trial of his "friend" Ray Marchan, now on trial for seven counts of racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, aiding and abetting extortion, and aiding and abetting wire fraud.
The feds say he bribed Limas in 2008 with payments totaling about $11,000. His defense says that, as he wrote on the check, a "loan" for his good friend Abel.
And so as we learn from tireless Emma Perez-Treviño, among his generous friends were the likes of former Cameron County Judge (and now Texas Democratic Party Chairman) Gilberto Hinojosa, former state representative Jim Solis, lawyer Juan Magallanes (and former Democratic Party chairman for the county), legal Eagle Ernesto Gamez, attorney Charles Willette, attorney Michael Young, attorney Oscar De la Fuente, D.A. Armando Villalobos, former City of Brownsvile Mayor and lawyer Eddie Treviño Jr., et al.
All, at one time or another, gave Limas money and the majority of them had cases p[ending before his court.
Limas said Gamez "helped" him by taking over a property in Harlingen that Limas owned with a debt of $68,000.
Limas gave Magallanes 1.3 acres of land in Fort Bend County in exchange for paying off a $30,000 loan. Magallanes also co-signed a loan for Limas’ son. In return, Limas had made favorable rulings in Magallanes’ favor.
Now, we're sure that Young was surprised to hear that Limas said he received a $1,000 bribe from him, a $300 loan and a $100 poker chip.
And Limas also said that Charles Willette loaned him money totaling $1,300 and was tet-a-tet (ex parte) communications with him, meeting with him on cases, and in one instance even outlined what he wanted Lima. Willette asked Limas for a continuance and he got it. The feds decided that they had not been bribes because Willette would have been paid by the client whether or not he won the case.
Uh?
Everybody seemed to be getting money over on Harrison Street, even the person who first reported the wheeling and dealing, according to the FBI who said they rewarded the tipster with who initially complained about Limas’ middleman Jose Manuel “Meme” Longoria $75,000.
Let's see: Magallanes gave him $30,000, Gamez pitched in with $68,000, Young another $1,300, Villalobos an undislcosed amount, and no one knows what Hinojosa did for the insatiable judge.
So why did the feds choose bring the full force of the law on none of the above and go after the "loans," or "bribes," depending on whether you believe Limas or Marchan and let off the majority of the rest with a public shaming?
9 comments:
wait till they connect the murder of assistant DA Arturo Jose Iniguez with ARMANDO VILLALOBOS (Jaime Munivez) association with the Villarreal Cartel (jose Alfredo "pepe"Villarreal) from matamoros. it was a favor for a favor. ANOTHER MURDERER RELEASED BY ARMANDO VILLALOBOS AND HIS ASSOCIATES. ALL DONE AT A. VILLALOBOS ORDERS
wait till they connect the murder of assistant DA Arturo Jose Iniguez with ARMANDO VILLALOBOS (Jaime Munivez) association with the Villarreal Cartel (jose Alfredo "pepe"Villarreal) from matamoros. it was a favor for a favor. ANOTHER MURDERER RELEASED BY ARMANDO VILLALOBOS AND HIS ASSOCIATES. ALL DONE AT A. VILLALOBOS ORDERS
Indictments are still in the works for this crowd.
Let's hope the investigation by the Feds is on-going and all these names are now a part of that investigation. There are other names that still haven't popped up in this case....like Aurora de la Garza and the roll she played in making sure these cases got to the Limas court. And, is it true that her son Joey de la Garza, found guilt of defrauding a local hospice, is working for Cameron County under a different name...Gonzalez?????? Hopefully Aurora is or will be under federal scrutiny for her role in judicial corruption.
Time for the unindicted co-conspirators to run to the USAO and Proffer. Time to work out a deal.
The U S Atty and Federal Judge feel they were slapped in the face because they are white and Noe Garza pointed out that some white targets were not prosecuted. Does the USAtty believe racism doesn't exist? Does the Judge? And worse, now the judge wants to sanction an atty because he brought up the implication! And this from the USGovt who is in charge of investigating or at least hearing out civil rights abuses....perhaps if one is white, racism doesn't exist...but the rest of us know better!!!
The Judge in this court is bit Nuts. Think maybe he has a mental disorder? Because some of the cases in his court are way out of the norm.
ok for the time being Marchan found guilty on all counts, ok lets move on, next gilbert hinojosa, juan magallenes and then the famous sex harassementor Luis saenz. Cant wait for you 3 cats to be charged batter UP!!!!!!!!!!
remember cats what goes around comes around, cada santo tiene su dia. arranged your affairs cats you 3 are going in too. Time is at hand
what do you mean " cases with Hanen are out of the norm . . . interesting . . some tips, names of cases, parties or type of cases would help ....
during the Trial, while talking to the attys and when the Jury was out ..... he asked a question of the Defense then while the "bulldog Garza" is responding the Judge gets upset and threatens to "remove the atty" from the courtroom . . . .
so much for the Defense team being allowed to fight to the end . . . .
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