Anonymous ID: 32486f April 19, 2018, 11:08 a.m. No.1102806   ๐Ÿ—„๏ธ.is ๐Ÿ”—kun

https:// www.hudoig.gov/newsroom/press-releases/former-housing-authority-executive-director-sent-prison

Former Housing Authority Executive Director Sent to Prison

DATE PUBLISHED:

April 19, 2018

NEWS TYPE:

Press Releases

PROGRAM AREA(S):

Public and Indian Housing

LINK TO ORIGINAL PRESS RELEASE:

USAO, Southern District of Texas (link is external)

McALLEN, Texas โ€ The former director of the La Joya Housing Authority and another man have been ordered to federal prison for a bid rigging scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Juan Jose Garza, 50, of La Joya, and Mexican national Armando Jimenez, 53, pleaded guilty to wire fraud May 3, 2017.

 

Today, U.S. District Judge Ricardo H. Hinojosa ordered Garza to serve 37 months in prison, while Jimenez received an 18-month-prison term. In imposing the sentence, the court ruled Garza abused his position of trust to facilitate the wire fraud scheme, commenting that โ€œthe public trusts people in public office to do the right thing.โ€ Judge Hinojosa further noted in regard to Garza โ€œthat trust was broken.โ€ Garza will also serve two years of supervised release. Not a U.S. citizen, Jimenez is expected to face deportation proceedings following his sentence.

 

From 1999 through 2016, Garza was the executive director of the La Joya Housing Authority. From July 2013 through March 2013, Garza and Jimenez engaged in bid rigging for construction contracts with the Alamo and Donna Housing Authorities. They submitted false bids to guarantee Jimenez Construction would be the low bidder and then awarded construction projects. Jimenez then falsely submitted invoices for work he claimed his construction company did, but that had been completed by subcontractors working for Garzaโ€ฆ