The principals of a company which started in Reynosa and is trying to break into the school district cafeteria business in South Texas and several local elected officials has drawn the interest of the FBI.
From what we have been able to put together, the company which has made a profitable business providing cafeteria food for numerous maquilas along the Mexican side of the river with their main office in Reynosa thought it had paid for an introduction to the Brownsville Independent School District through Ruben O'Bell who purported to represent the office of Sen. Eddie Lucio and through Brownsville Independent School District board member Dr. Sylvia Atkinson.
That company - AGM Food LLC - established an office in 2018 along Ruben Torres Blvd. and was trying to find out how to do business in South Texas, preferably with local school districts. Sources say that it was exploring setting up a food processing plant somewhere in the valley to do business.
For the past 10 years AGM had provided an average of 50,000 meals daily and prides itself in providing "better ingredients, more choices and quicker service." So why not set up a food processing service on this side of the river and try to break into the business?
Toward that end, the principals were advised to seek the assistance of Sen. Eddie Lucio. Somehow or other, the go-between was O'Bell, the administrative assistant of his son State Rep. Eddie Lucio III.
From here on it gets murky, but apparently, the vendors were also told that they needed to pay-to-play - one source said that the amount over that time had mounted to some $30,000 - and that a school board member, Atkinson's name is the most mentioned - was somehow involved in the transaction.
The scam became unraveled when the AGM's principals were told that they would be able to meet with Sen. Lucio at the Lucio Middle School and that they would be able to observe the cafeteria operation and get an introduction to the administration and staff.
But imagine their surprise when they showed up and found out that the senator was there for Sen Eddie Lucio Appreciation Day and that the administrators and cafeteria staff knew nothing of the alleged business meeting and introduction. Additionally, their suspicions were aroused when they found out AGM was not listed as a vendor with Region One, a requirement to do business with its member school districts.
The situation apparently roused the suspicion of school staff and administrators still gun shy because of the district's experience with the BISD's purchase of spoiled barbacoa from Valco in 2016, a company from Mexico that had been selling meat processed in Mexico to school districts in Region One in violation of U.S. Dept. of Agriculture prohibition of spending federal funds to pay foreign vendors.
On the day before he was to be questioned by the FBI, BISD Food and Nutrition Service director Silverio Capsitran Jr., 43, was found dead in his pickup outside his apartment Monday, Feb. 8, 2016. He had a gunshot wound to the head and the gun was in the vehicle.
Despite the fact that Lucio personally led the vendors to the Lucio Middle School cafeteria, the barbacoa background, apparently, led someone in the BISD to alert the FBI of a something similar could behappening with AGM. When the FBI agents came knocking, the alarmed principals of AGM lawyered up with attorney Trey Garza.
Garza, who refused to comment citing attorney-client confidentiality, would only say that the Asst. U.S. Atty. and FBI supervisory agents had cleared his clients of any wrongdoing.
"I have been assured that my clients did nothing wrong and were not listed as persons on interest in any crime," Garza said. "That's all I can tell you."
Atkinson, who is usually very prompt to return media inquiries, did not return calls and text messages on the subject. It is unknown whether the FBI agents have interviewed O'Bell and Atkinson into what is beginning to shape up into an apparent pay-to-play scam on the would-be BISD vendor.
Was Lucio aware of the activity going on and the payments made in his name to gain an "'introduction" and do business with the district? And was he, by personally leading the vendor to the cafeteria, play a knowing and willing role in the matter?
21 comments:
A lot of "ifs" here, Montoya. Too many, in fact. get your facts before you sit down to write, bro. Really useless as rumor. Hit job.
Trump conveniently skipped the National Anthem at yesterday's World Series game, I guess since they weren’t playing the “State Anthem of the Russian Federation” he didn’t feel it was necessary to show his patriotism by standing for it.
Nothing will come of this investigation. It'll be just like all the other investigations that come up with nothing. This isn't the first time the FBI is involved in something. The FBI has investigated things before, and absolutely nothing has happened. A friend of mine was hauled in to speak to the Feds to investigate the whole Joe Rod/sports equipment fiasco.
For years, one of the worst kept secrets among the coaching community was that Joe Rod had a warehouse in town where he would store equipment he would order with BISD money to sell to schools in Matamoros. He would shave a little bit off each high school's sports budget and order stuff that he would later sell to schools in Matamoros. He would then pocket that money and the equipment would mysteriously disappear.
Joe Rod then had his hand in pushing all of the sports equipment vendors out of Brownsville, forcing coaches to go with Nike stuff being pushed by BSN.
Nothing ever happened with that investigation. Just like nothing ever happened with the investigation where an administrator from FNS supposedly committed suicide when he purchased tainted meat from a vendor in Matamoros. Funny how that story quietly went away and there was never any follow-up with it.
This is all to say nothing of the countless investigations with money that has gone missing from campuses and "school beautification" funds. If these investigations ever actually came to light, things would blow wide open at the district.
But all of these things are quietly swept under the rug. Business as usual.
The East Coast (USA) Is Still Having Big Problems With Corruption
And don't forget about the Sam's Stadium Jumbotron. What ever happened with that?
Where's the beef, reporter?
Ruben O'Bell is doing the exact thing Ruben Gallegos is doing. They are selling everything they own CASH to justify and hide the money. From going to Las Vegas to gamble, to selling guns, boats, moped, truck tires, RV, Spider Cars, Beach House anything and everything they could to say it wasn't a bribe but the sudden Cash in their bank account was for personal items they sold on Facebook. Yeah, like the FBI is really stupid. They are taking advise from E3. Don't they know that E3 is an attorney and he will get away with it, but these idiots the 2 Rubens will turn on each other and sing, sing, sing. Sylvia is probably already singing to the FBI in exchange for immunity.
This is another eddie LUCIO jr and eddie LUCIO lll bribe. WILLACY COUNTY also bribe in building jails.
Democrat Eddie Lucio JR and Eddie lucio lll and Jaime BARRERA LUCIO, wife launders money at home followed faith.
Juan you know this is business as usual in the entire RGV region, nothing new.
Where's the pendejo that was commenting bunch of shit on the Lucios! Now he's quiet! I guess the Lucios paid him off!
Jhonny + Mike = ♡Pochos at Play♡
No i have busy at work, but you can see i put 2 post of lucio asshole. Weekend is now the only time i have 14 hr days
Balgame, Dios! The more I live, the more I think it is time for me to become a recluse in my home and ignore anything going on around me. This article is something that almost everyone has been waiting for and finally it is home, but when, exactly, will the FBI bring in the DA and something done about it.
Why did BISD have two suicides close together and nothing was ever produced as an investigation to both men. What happened to the sealed indictment on Atkinson? If Coach Joe was being corrupt, why were charges never brought before him. Why did the board vote to support him if they knew he was a crook? And now, it is finally brought up that Atkinson is also involved. Just watch her working on another sealed indictment and that is why she is not responding to questions asked. Is it now time for karma? What goes around, comes around and lets hope that all those involved get what is coming to them, mainly because they are steeling from our children, including the Lucio Sucios. Let me out of hear before I choke on the bad smell. Watch all this swept under the carpet and they all come out smelling like a rose without thorns. Bring in Walker-Texas Ranger!
How'd you know I got paid???
@6:35 Because it was so obvious that you were over doing it with all the Lucio's comments bs! You just wanted a nice pay-off $$$$$! I hope with part of the money you could help the homeless or pay for a kid to go to college. You can use your newfound money to help el Coco hillbilly jotito parrot to learn more words than just "Coco", "gringo" or " hillbilly"! Send him to a good bird school! Lol
Look at Robert Lucio the golf brother when he and Eddie were in business together. What a sweet deal they had at the college with the gold course, but wait they went bust. Who ate all that mon, what bank? Could you get him to pay his past due taxes at least we could get that out of him.
Hell you can't even get a pedo out of him and if you do it'll stink just like that stupid hillbilly gringo @October 29, 2019 at 7:44 AM
VERDAD BOOBY
VERDAD BRO
VERDAD PAT
Please explain your title! Does it mean that the FBI has already "stumbled" and nothing will come out of this? I sure hope not because it is such a travesty to see these idiots do unlawful things time and time again and they laugh all the way to the bank or Vegas. Nothing is ever complete here so we file them in "cold cases." That is the whole problem; law enforcement is unheard here in Brownsville or all over the valley. Everyday the Brownsville Herald is full of crimes by elected officials and only a few have been sent to jail. Do to everyone what they did to Conrado Cantu. I just don't understand how a prominent elected official risks his/her job or career and hard years of study and money, to do something stupid because of greed. But I guess when you can pay yourself 1/2 a million dollars a year, it is worth it, verdad chuchos? Shame on all of you. Delen gracias a Dios con lo que ya tiene y no handen buscando como hacer el mas rico de Brownsville or like one lady say, La mas Chin.... de Brownsville, y que?
And yet the idiots keep voting for this corrupted POS eddie lucio! I guess the Feds are afraid of going after a sitting official? Continues to prove that corruption is the norm in Brownsville!
I have once or twice but I will say it AGAIN..."LUCIO SUCIO" BROWNSVILLE HE IS ALL YOURS....CONTODO EL ROSARIO PUESTO!
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