After the infamous $1.2 million Great Fajita Caper at the Cameron County Juvenile Probation Office was uncovered, there are more indications that money-handling across the board in various departments leaves much to be desired.
In fact, Cameron County Lead Auditor Matha Galarza confirmed to the local daily that there was another leak at the office of Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Benito Ochoa’s Port Isabel office.
Galarza told county commissioners during a special meeting last Monday that investigators found 226 checks and money orders totaling $17,700 that dated from 2001 to 2017 in Ochoa’s office.
Galarza told county commissioners during a special meeting last Monday that investigators found 226 checks and money orders totaling $17,700 that dated from 2001 to 2017 in Ochoa’s office.
Ochoa has since said that the checks had been deposited.
But what Galarza didn't tell commissioners that there is an ongoing investigation of missing money from the Cameron County Parks System, in particular, the toll booths at Access 5 and 6 on South Padre Island.
Our sources tell us that there is somewhere between $,3,700 to $4,000 missing from the receipts from that toll booth. Investigators are trying to find the culprit of the heists.
"The county collects somewhere around $75,000 to $80,000 from these toll booths in a good week," said a county source. "At $10 a pop per car, it amounts to good money."
Parks has always been a source of concern for county officials. In the past, they have had to implement a computer system to keep track of the cash coming in through the various tool booths including Isla Blanca Park.
Back in 2014, when former county parks director Javier Mendez – a holdover from the Gilberto Hinojosa administration before Carlos Cascos took over – was in charge, it was rumored in county circles that Gilbert Hinojosa was his padrino, or godfather. Whether that's true or not is conjecture, but he did seem to have a charmed existence.
When Cascos came along, the county attempted to implement a computerized system to keep a closer eye on the park's income from trailer park rentals, the trash bag reimbursement program, park entrance fees and other sources.
Toward that end, they instituted the Odyssey auditing system in 2009. Of utmost concern to the county as the wildly fluctuating income numbers form the park entrance fees. Starting in 2006, the county auditor's numbers reflected income just over $1 million ($1,049,606 to be exact) that fluctuated downward in 2007, went even further down in 2008, and then jumped back to $1,040,168 in 2009.
However, when asked in open court why the system had not been put in place to keep control of the park entrance fees and other income, Mendez said that he hadn't implemented it because the system did not allow him access to it.
When he was told that it was purposely designed to prevent access to him and was limited only to the department's bookkeeper and county auditor, he relented and instituted it toward the end of 2009 and the beginning of 2010.
It wasn't until 2011 that the controlled entrance fees revenues were documented. And what a surprise that was.
Income from entrance fees between 2010 and 2011 jumped by $778,104 in that one-year span alone.
Then, in 2012, that figure jumped up again. Compared to the previous year (2011), receipts for park entrance fees jumped up by $238,028.
In other words, between the time the system was fully implemented in 2010 to 2012, there was an increase in entrance fees of $1,016,132. Was there a sudden surge in park visitors at Isla Blanca and Adolph Thomae Park? Was there an overwhelming crush at the paid entrances to the access road parks that no one noticed?
The Friends of Isla Blanca Park had requested information on the entrance fees and were stonewalled, as was local attorney Ruben Peña. No one wanted to let the cat out of the bag, apparently.
Then we got word that at least three park employees were charged and prosecuted for their alleged roles in pilfering the entrance receipts.
Is history repeating itself out in the sand dunes of Padre Island?
Back in 2014, when former county parks director Javier Mendez – a holdover from the Gilberto Hinojosa administration before Carlos Cascos took over – was in charge, it was rumored in county circles that Gilbert Hinojosa was his padrino, or godfather. Whether that's true or not is conjecture, but he did seem to have a charmed existence.
When Cascos came along, the county attempted to implement a computerized system to keep a closer eye on the park's income from trailer park rentals, the trash bag reimbursement program, park entrance fees and other sources.
Toward that end, they instituted the Odyssey auditing system in 2009. Of utmost concern to the county as the wildly fluctuating income numbers form the park entrance fees. Starting in 2006, the county auditor's numbers reflected income just over $1 million ($1,049,606 to be exact) that fluctuated downward in 2007, went even further down in 2008, and then jumped back to $1,040,168 in 2009.
However, when asked in open court why the system had not been put in place to keep control of the park entrance fees and other income, Mendez said that he hadn't implemented it because the system did not allow him access to it.
When he was told that it was purposely designed to prevent access to him and was limited only to the department's bookkeeper and county auditor, he relented and instituted it toward the end of 2009 and the beginning of 2010.
It wasn't until 2011 that the controlled entrance fees revenues were documented. And what a surprise that was.
Income from entrance fees between 2010 and 2011 jumped by $778,104 in that one-year span alone.
In other words, between the time the system was fully implemented in 2010 to 2012, there was an increase in entrance fees of $1,016,132. Was there a sudden surge in park visitors at Isla Blanca and Adolph Thomae Park? Was there an overwhelming crush at the paid entrances to the access road parks that no one noticed?
The Friends of Isla Blanca Park had requested information on the entrance fees and were stonewalled, as was local attorney Ruben Peña. No one wanted to let the cat out of the bag, apparently.
Then we got word that at least three park employees were charged and prosecuted for their alleged roles in pilfering the entrance receipts.
Is history repeating itself out in the sand dunes of Padre Island?
12 comments:
County Elected Persons, DO SOMETHING, just don't on your ass and do nothing, there are RATS, and we have to continue paying taxes so you will just sit on your fat asses. Your are just as guilty as the rats who steal.
Lol as the county turns ! That’s what you get when you hire friends of friends and sons and daughters of those who you promised a job not fbeing qualified wake up Commissioners ! Stop the compadrismo it’s costing us tax payers money , mamones puras ratas
Benny Ochoa is the biggest crook of them all his office is always late with every thing that’s what sylvia garza perez is going around saying
Wtf ! I thought checks were not valid after a year ! Wtf
Who gives a flying fuck?
But the story goes on and on. When a "little boy" who's mother worked at the Court House,
swiped a lot of money from terminal ill patients, the "little boy" got send to the corner -
no fine, no jail time, nothing! When Patterson was convicted she got life for murder, but also received 75 years for the same crime the "little boy" had committed. So what is wrong with this picture? La Marana, as her Daddy was also called, managed to protect her little son. Wonder why Judge Palacios couldn't do the same for his "little girl"? Now tell me that isn't the case with the "Case of the Red Mercedes" that has been involved in two recent incidents and all of sudden appears parked back on Sunset Street where "it was stolen from"? Who ever heard of someone returning a stolen car to the same place where it was stolen. La otra marana has convinced law enforcement it did happen. Are public officials taken advantage of the so called judicial system? Give you 3 guesses.
Juan don't be alarmed, this is the latest news, back in the good old days the counters at he Gateway bridge for years or maybe decades did not work correctly so who knows how much was stolen there, I remember the bridge director back then and his deputy director were always at the Resaca Club with Mariaches serenading them just about every night. I think one of those dudes was aurora de la Garza husband. lots of quarters to count, pero pura Vida. But just like this case of the fajitas and over at jp benny ochoas court no one will do anything, just talk,mmm sounds like washignton dc, oh well LOL.
No matter how much technology Cameron County gets, elimination of corruption is likely to continue. Waving a friend or a friend of a friend through a beach entrance is one thing, but the other loss of funds seems easy to fix. Corruption extends from the ticket taker at the beach, to the top of the Cameron County government. Those who know something is going wrong, as just as guilty as the one taking illegal action. By the way, what happened to the investigation dealing with the computers sold by the county that ended up being for sale at the pulga with lots of information about citizens still on the computer. County Judge Eddie Trevino said there would be an investigation....but no follow up information.
The world is a dangerous place,not because of those who do evil,but because of those who look on and do nothing.
Benny Ochoa is GREAT leader and is working very hard for his beloved community that's what Lali Betancourt is going around saying .
The county auditor is probably lying about the actual amount just like she lies about Luis Saenz .
TEAM SAENZ is the BEST !
Ochoa is a RAT look further
Vote lali Betancourt for county clerk
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