The use of county workers and equipment of Freddie Gomez road pictured at right would seem a paltry reason to get indicted and charged with the crime of misappropriating county funds, materials and labor on behalf of a private citizen.
Yet, that is what former Cameron County Judge Pete Sepulveda was charged with in an indictment handed down by a grand jury December 21.
In the indictment, the grand jury charged that Sepulveda used county workers, equipment and materials to work the road from March 7-11, 2016 costing between $2,500 and $30,000 for private road owner Anita Weaver.
A cursory look at the road shows what appear to be asphalt road millings procured from the crews of the Texas Dept. of Transportation after they scarify a road or highway. The indictment does not indicate which workers were used. However, since the road is in Precinct 4, they most probably were from that precinct.
At the time of the alleged acts, former Pct. 4 commissioner Dan Sanchez was in office. Did Sepulveda approve the working of the road as a political favor for Sanchez who at the time was in the runoff for county judge against Eddie Treviño? Sanchez left office on March 18, when Gus Ruiz, who won the runoff election March 1, was appointed by Sepulveda to take the post.
How could Sanchez not know that county workers and equipment were being used to work the road in his precinct?
And what involvement did county adminitrator David Garcia have in the matter. As the director of Public Works and the Road and Bridge Department he would have intimate knowledge of county projects.
Reports from Los Indios indicate that former mayor Rick Bennet was upset that Sanchez was getting involved in the mayor's race there and planned to run a candidate againt him. Reports further indicate that Bennet went to Saenz with the report that county crews were working on the private road. To the surprise of investigators, it was Sepulved'as name that surfaced on the documentation authorizing the work.
"The guy they really wanted was Sanchez, but they ran into the paperwork signed by Sepulveda," said a source. "We don't know if Sanchez even knew or whether Sepulveda thought he was doing him a favor by authorizing the county crews to work there."
How could Sanchez not know that county workers and equipment were being used to work the road in his precinct?
And what involvement did county adminitrator David Garcia have in the matter. As the director of Public Works and the Road and Bridge Department he would have intimate knowledge of county projects.
Reports from Los Indios indicate that former mayor Rick Bennet was upset that Sanchez was getting involved in the mayor's race there and planned to run a candidate againt him. Reports further indicate that Bennet went to Saenz with the report that county crews were working on the private road. To the surprise of investigators, it was Sepulved'as name that surfaced on the documentation authorizing the work.
"The guy they really wanted was Sanchez, but they ran into the paperwork signed by Sepulveda," said a source. "We don't know if Sanchez even knew or whether Sepulveda thought he was doing him a favor by authorizing the county crews to work there."
Depending on the outcome of the case, it will probably have some effect on Sepulveda's position as a the executive director of the Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority, at a $240,000 salary plus benefits. By comparison, James Bass, the executive director of the Texas Dept. of Transportation who oversees the entire state, comands a $290,000 salary.
"This is the guy who oversees the entire styate of texas and he gets almost the same as Sepulveda who oversees the CCRMA," said a lontime county employee.
"This is the guy who oversees the entire styate of texas and he gets almost the same as Sepulveda who oversees the CCRMA," said a lontime county employee.
As director of the CCRMA, Sepulveda personally oversees the planning, design and construction of major projects such as the second South Padre Island Causeway, the planned West Loop, the toll road to the Port of Brownsville and the planned East Loop to divert heavy traffic away from International Blvd.
He is also in charge of the Transportation Reinvestment Zones that will bring millions in tax increment revenues to the CCRMA. Sepulveda's trial is set for February.
26 comments:
Ya se lo cargo el payaso!
Better late than never. Good to see your side of story, Juan.
Chingaw. Greedy Greedy. Anita weaver? Who is she boinking?
We have advanced from "caliche politics" to "asphalt politics". New tools but old corruption and abuse of power. I lived on a caliche road for over 20 years and the county would not pave it, even to give the entire subdivision access to county paved roads.....because it was an easement. No doubt Sanchez used his "weight" to get this work done, but Pete takes the hit because his name was on the bottom line.
What about the old man @ public works? I believe his name is Santana?
He has been there forever. Has anyone checked if he paved the back alley?
The city should do an inventory from pencils to toilet paper in those departments where administration has been there forever and nobody holds them accountable.
Shit runs down hill....
This issue has come up years ago when cascos a county judge... he approached the public works superintendent to see if they could pave that road but he told him then that freddy gomez was a private road he told him that what he needed to do was to take it to commissioners court. David garcia shouldn't be a little bitch, grow some balls and come forward. As involved he is with public works he must of known what was going on as well as sepulveda. Mike the comm. Asst. and hugo leal const. Foreman for pct. 4 know damn well that rd is private. So pete shouldn't be the only in indicted. This isnt the first time this has happened back when edna tamayo was commissioner in pct. 4 she and Mike her assisant pressured the foreman then mario salinas to pave and work alot of private roads some in harlingen and some on rio hondo. On this particular road mike the asssitant to the commissioner and hugo leal the const. Foreman paved and worked on this particular road without telling anyone guess they thought no one will find out. I hope david garcia reads this he'll know what I'm talking about. Sophia benavides should know also. .. she also wanted the superintendent to work and pave Rosenbaum rd as a political favor a few yeas back but got turned down since it was a private road and she didn't want to bring it up in commissioners court... this has been happening for years but no one has ever looked into it.
please check into it further more there might be other roads in Brownsville area too.
Corrupt is corrupt is corrupt, doesn't matter the amount. Zero tolerance.
Everyone to include the county administrator Garcia,Xcommissioner Sanchez should be indicted as well. There's no doubt they had knowledge of this illegal act. Right know county judge Trevino should take lead and place Garcia on administrative leave until an internal investigation clears him. But will it happen or will it continue to be a covery up and business as usaul. This is expected by the Gilbert Hinojosa, it's a shame that Carlos casacos name has been tarnish
Cameron County for you, always something crooked on going. The bastion of corruption, South Texas.
Purro pinche ratas!!! All these county officials and their assistants are dam crooks! Pinche manitas David Garcia your the next one that is gonna fall! ! Remember karma always comes back to bite you in the ass! What goes around comes around!
quien es ANITA WEAVER??... sigsnle escarvando la cuidad de Brownsville public works,purchasing health dept,building permits ay chingo de corrupcion.y este guey SEPULVEDA AL BOTE Y A IZAGUIRRE TAMBIEN
How about the DA's office dig deeper and they will find out that he also hired a bookkeeper with just a high school diploma and made her bridge manager increasing her salary from 27k to 63k, that's so odd why is there money for that particular employee and not the rest, just dig deeper Mr. DA and you will find lots more unethical issues he's done.
Who is the property owner sleeping with? I need my driveway paved...
Sepulveda was a terrible county judge, his time is coming.He needs to resign. He gets paid to much for being stupid.
Don't forget they hired a Bridge Director from Donna Bridge that when he was working for the city of Donna has a lawsuit against him for bribe.
Has the person who commented about Cascos name being tarnished ever been to Coscos's ranchito off Military Hwy to see the great job county workers did when they paved his road?
He got caught in the city also. Hes done some county work too
Lets think outside of the box for a minute. This is a common practice, so why now is it that out of all the times this has happened,the DA gets involved in this one? Politics, of course, but who is the political power broker who pushed this one? Seek and ye shall find!
Pinche Saenz is a worthless , unethical , jerk! Not defending Pete, but, where is our District Attorney while the Mayor is raping the taxpayers ? United Brownsville stealing money for years ? Eddie Trevino and his shenanigans with the Tenaska project? Paving a road is peanuts, go after the big crooks, you miserable , corrupt, fool!
Juan, on Las Palomas and Alta Mesa streets, there are four speed humps less than a hundred feet from each other. I wonder who in the city had the bright idea of approving these speed humps so close together, especially since there is a stop sign. Could it be because there is a county truck always parked on one of the houses right on the corner of this intersection, in fact one of the speed humps is located right in front of this house. Something worth looking into. Too much waste of tax payers monies.
Omg..is it his private road with only 2 houses on it?
manitas should not be allowed to make comments, or the fat wife...
We the people want Manitas to take IQ test to prove that he is in fact fucK!#@a retard, and he does not deserve his off the charts salary of $195,000 plus benefits which don't include a crashed pickup truck.
They city must remove these needless speed humps which clearly benefited one homeowner and should hold the Traffic directorr accountable for approving these speed humps. Another prime example of wasted tax dollars, the only thing these back to back speed humps are doing are damaging cars.
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