Reprint from the Progress Times - July 27, 2007
©Progress Times 2007 - All Rights Reserved

Villegas pleads not guilty

Mission Parks and Recreation Director Joe Villegas and former Mission city manager Isauro Trevino both pleaded not guilty in federal court Tuesday to charges of bribery and bid rigging on city park projects.

Both Villegas, 50, and Trevino, 35, were arrested last Thursday, July 19, by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Peter Ormsby the same day. Both were released on $100,000 bonds.

Arrest warrants for two contractors, Rene Cavazos, Jr. of Mission and David Trevino (no relation to Isauro Trevino) of San Antonio, have been issued in connection with the case.

The first count of the indictment accuses all four defendants of conspiring to commit extortion, mail fraud and making false statements to the FBI from 2001 through 2005. According to allegations in the indictment, Cavazos, David Trevino, and an unindicted co-conspirator Daniel Rodriguez provided cash and goods totaling more than $75,000 to Isauro Trevino and Villegas in exchange for obtaining favorable treatment in the awarding of City of Mission contracts for sludge and debris removal, for walking trails at city parks, projects at the Mission Adult Recreation Center, a skate park, the expansion of the Mayberry Pool and for the painting of a downtown parking lot.

According to the six-count federal indictment, in return for bribes Trevino and Villegas would provide the defendant contractors with information about the bids of other contractors, accept fake bids to appear to meet the "three bid" requirement and split a single project into separate phases to bring the project in below the $25,000 threshold at which the City is required to seek bids.

Trevino allegedly deposited cash bribes he received from Cavazos and Rodriguez into a bank account registered in his mother-in-law’s name and then later transferred those funds to pay for his own home and car loans.

Count Two of the indictment alleges Trevino and Villegas participated in extortion by accepting money from Cavazos in exchange for favorable treatment in the awarding of more than $250,000 in Parks Department projects. The third count of the indictment charges Trevino alone with extortion for accepting money from Cavazos in exchange for favorable treatment in the awarding of more than $500,000 in Street Department projects from 2002 to 2004. Count four of the indictment charges Trevino with accepting materials and labor for the installation of stucco to his home from David Trevino and Rodriguez in exchange for favorable treatment in the approval of a $75,900 change order for the Mission Adult Recreation Center and in the process related to the awarding of contracts for a skate park. Counts five and six deal with alleged false statements made by Trevino and Villegas to the FBI in 2003 and 2005 respectively.

The count of conspiracy carries a maximum sentence of five years in a federal prison, upon conviction. Each extortion count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years and the counts of giving a false statement carry a maximum sentence of five years. Each of the six counts also carries a maximum fine of $250,000.

Villegas’ and Trevino’s case is scheduled to go to trial by September 5. Until then, Villegas has been suspended with pay by the City of Mission. Public Works Administrator Julian Gonzalez is currently serving as interim Parks and Recreation Director.

Mission City Manager Julio Cerda said city business continues.

"The assistant director is still there and everyone else is still there," said Cerda. Julian Gonzalez has done an excellent job the past few days. The services to the people have not stopped.