Reprint from the Progress Times - August 10, 2007
©Progress Times 2007 - All Rights Reserved

Carmen Ramirez convicted
Former LJWSC office manager may receive probation

By Kathy Olivarez

Carmen Ramirez, former La Joya Water Supply Corporation office manager, was convicted of a third degree felony of theft of money or property valued at over $20,000 and under $100,000.

The conviction came after a three-day trial culminating last week with a guilty verdict. The trial took place in the 139th District Court of Judge Bobby Flores.

Ramirez was indicted on the charges in 2005 after an extensive investigation by state auditors of LJWSC that showed hundreds of thousands of dollars were missing.

The state audit took place after numerous customers of LJWSC complained about high bills, double billings, and payments not being recorded properly along with low water pressure and inadequate delivery systems to their homes.

The charges in the indictment of Ramirez stated that the money or property was taken between January 1, 2001 and March 24, 2004.

Her husband, David Ramirez, was also indicted but has not yet come to trial.

According to a story in The Monitor, the prosecution alleged that money was taken out of LJWSC cash registers to pay for tools – valued at almost $34,000 – for David Ramirez and others. During the trial cashiers acknowledged that money was taken to pay Snap-On Tools.

The prosecution alleged that Ramirez's LJWSC salary ranged from $30,000 to $40,000 so the $34,000 value of the tools seemed to be too high for the defendant to repay from her salary.

Defense attorney Al Alvarez called Ramirez's action, "a bad business practice," but said that was all she was guilty of doing. Alvarez accused the prosecution of trying to make Ramirez a scapegoat for the missing money, when she was not responsible for it.

The jury deliberated for three hours before returning with a guilty verdict. Ramirez has not yet been formally sentenced. The sentence is set to be pronounced by the judge on September 18.

The Progress Times questioned the District Attorney's Office about statements that Ramirez will get probation instead of serving any time.

Assistant District Attorney Orlando Esquivel, who prosecuted the case, said that in all likelihood, Ramirez would get a probated sentence. Defendants in most cases of third degree felony theft, where there is no prior record of any kind, get probated sentences.

Esquivel also said Ramirez could appeal the conviction on the basis that the jury should not have reached a guilty verdict based on the evidence presented in the case.

When asked whether others who were initially indicted will also go to trial, Esquivel said that David Ramirez would probably go to trial before the end of the year. Because so much evidence was shredded prior to the takeover of the LJWSC, no one has yet determined if there is enough evidence to try others involved in the case, including Lucrecio Flores, who was general manager of the LJWSC at the time of the state audit.