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?