Police and operators of events centers whose facilities hosts birthdays, quinceañeras, marriages or other festive events are warning the public against a scammer who has stolen thousands of dollars from unsuspecting victims by promising catering services and pocketing the money, including the payment for the rental of the events centers and then delivering nothing.
Today Oscar Sierra, of Oscar's Catering, 2929 International Blvd., was arraigned on two counts of felony theft after he was arrested yesterday on a complaint filed with the Brownsville Police Department. Bond was set at $25,000 per count and he was sent to Rucker-Carrizales until he posts bail.
(After our post appeared, yet Sierra was charged with another count of felony theft and was set to be arraigned on that charge later today.)
Apparently, Sierra has been at this scam for some time, convincing his previous victims that it was a civil matter and not theft, a criminal offense.
Among Sierra's victims is an 80-year-old woman who was to celebrate her birthday as far ahead as August and paid Sierra 2,000 up front for catering that included the payment to the Amigoland Events Center.Owner Mike Belleville said Sierra and his daughter Claribel prey on their victims by charging up front for their services and include the payments that they should make for the rental of the hall. In the case of the elderly woman, when she tried to reach him for an explanation, Sierra has not answered her calls, he said.
In fact, the address listed as his business is no longer valid because Sierra was evicted for not paying his rent. Belleville said he has allowed Sierra to use a room at the events center, a move he now regrets.
"It makes me feel bad for the victims because some of them have saved years for the quinceañeras for their daughters or for their weddings only to find out that there is no caterer there and that no one has paid for the rental of the reception hall," Belleville said. "In one case just last Saturday, there was a couple who was getting married and there was no catering available. We were fortunate to be able to get another caterer to fill in."
Belleville said some of the victims have paid Sierra for events into 2019 and do not know he never meant to deliver the services he promised.
And this Saturday, a couple from San Antonio is scheduled to marry at the Amigoland Center, and found out that Sierra had not paid for the rental of the hall. Belleville said service providers like florists and other caterers have come together to provide the services and not disappoint the marrying party.
"I have been blessed by people who have come to m y assistance so that these people will not be disappointed," Belleville said. "They said, 'Mike, we'll help and you can count on us you until you get though this."
The caterer not only provides the meal for the event, he said. They also arrange to provide the linens, flower arrangements or other decorations or services for the clients.
Since Sierra also convinces the victims that they can pay the rental of the events center to him in advance, the owners often have to absorb the loss of the rent of the reception hall because they had not place to go, Belleville said.
"These are people who work had for their money and sometimes save for years for the event," Belleville said. "This guy has no heart."
Belleville said that law enforcement and the Cameron County District Attorney's Office said they were pushing for a high bond for Sierra to prevent him from preying on other people.
He said he has contacted all future clients of his hall procured by Sierra and his daughter and has discovered that many have already paid them in advance.
"We are talking about 5,000 to $7,000 that include the $1,700 to $4,000 cost associated with the events center," Belleville said. "We are putting out the word to people to be aware of what is happening and to keep them from giving him their money."
Belleville said that if there are other victims of the caterer that should contact the Brownsville Police Department.
22 comments:
Pricks
Ha ha ha
Yes his daughter the news anchor that got arrested for DUI as previously reported on this blog ! #claribel sierra
When you have a trusting or naive community...scams are always around to take advantage of those trusting or naive citizens. Of course there are many bold scammers who will lie to your face and they always want money up front. Beware of those who want money up front and get references that you know.
Get a Rope.
His daughter fathered the kid of a cartel member . This poor man was kidnapped in Mexico.
Hey this guy would make a good elected official in Cameron County run him for something! Takes your money and never delivers.
Ah...Claribel Sierra... The girl who thought she was Kim Kardashian.. Famous for the wrong reasons.... This chick is a joke... Se creia mucho....
It's not being naive, we hired him 20 years ago for our wedding and we had no problems. Fast forward to last Saturday when we hired him for an event and 2 days before the event he tells me he doesn't have money to pay for the hall (that I had already paid) and wants me to pay for hall again!! Long story short, we forced him to honor our contract and food was awful!! He deserves to be in jail!! Viejo ratero
He already works for an elected official. Guess who trained him, and guess who the elected official is.
Even I have to agree that Ren'e The black Mamba Oliviera was not involved in this one.
20 years ago? What a long engagement.
Anonymous at 8:32 It will be hard to guess as there are too many elected officials that are just as shady.Eddie Trevino? Tony Martinez? Joe Rodriguez? I give up!
Esa Claribel Sierra es una zorra bien hecha ademas de ser otra criminal como su padre. Ambos merecen la carcel
Man that man grows em good. Esa claribel is a mami chula
Learn to read stupid. Reading comprehension 101. Duh.
Anonymous He has catered an event for me, we paid the hall direct, he never asked for that and all went well. Amigoland Event center is falling apart. Went to an event in December there and the A/C was dripping all night. There were trash cans on the dance floor all night. I wonder the they complained.
Que payaso.. it was a totally different event
Rata Rata Rata, hey folks its cameron county, should we expect anything different? by the way is he tony yzaguirre's friend or compadre?
Prolly Luis saenz's homeboy
We decided to look into this RRun RRun blog to see if this type of witch hunt still existed in this day and age...2018.
We have used Mr. Sierra's services for many family events over the past 20 years, ranging from a quince, to a wedding, to a 40th anniversary celebration, and now to our mother's 80th birthday celebration (this specific event is referenced earlier in this blog, which by the way is a total farce.)
Mr. Sierra has always provided exceptional service with the utmost professionalism. He is an honest and humble business owner and doesn't deserve this type of persecution.
Shame on the blogger who originally wrote this nonsense and didn't substantiate the facts and interview the suspected victims. Additionally, the anonymous comments that were posted bordered on the ridiculous and insane.
This type of social media destroys families and the good name of innocent men and women.
We feel ashamed that this is a reflection of our hometown of Brownsville, Texas.
Signed,
The Children of the 80 year old Woman
Probably the daughters fault shes taking all the money from him! She’s the one with the new cars, the name brand crap, hell, her parents have to raise claribels daughter since shes so busy clubbing looking for her next vato look at her now Relaxing in Monterrey, taking a nice vacation from her so called haters, unless you know how she bounces back like a basketball so she says, maybe she just got herself a new sugar daddy/boyfriend. Who will ever know? Poor dad has to deal with all that. Cut him some slack! But still ratas ratas ratas sad to have people like them in the valley.
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