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.