Reprint from the Progress Times - October 12, 2007
©Progress Times 2007 - All Rights Reserved

Two contractors plead guilty in City of Mission bribery case

 

Rene Cavazos Jr., 47, and David Trevino, 43, have pleaded guilty to conspiring to bribe City of Mission public officials in return for favorable treatment in the awarding of contracts, U.S. Attorney Don DeGabrielle announced.
Cavazos and Trevino along with the former city manager and the director of parks and recreation of Mission were indicted in July 2007 for paying and receiving bribes in exchange for official action that benefited the contractors and others in the awarding of numerous Mission contracts. Cavazos and Trevino pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right, a federal felony offense punishable by a maximum of five years imprisonment without parole.
U.S. District Judge Randy Crane, who found both men guilty, has set sentencing for December 20. Both defendants have been permitted to remain free on bond pending their sentencing hearings.
At a hearing on October 3, Cavazos, who operated Cavazos Trucking and Wrangler Construction, admitted to paying cash bribes to a co-defendant Mission city official in exchange for the awarding of numerous contracts to his two companies. Cavazos’ companies often received payments on the contracts in amounts ranging form $20,000 and $25,000, which Cavazos admitted was the result of bid structuring that avoided the public notice requirement and City Council-approval requirements for projects that exceed $25,000.
One example of the scheme discussed at today’s hearing was payments to Cavazos by the City of Mission for work on walking trails at Bannworth Park. The payments were split into a “Phase 1” payment of $24,890 on November 12, 2002 and a “Phase 2” payment of $24,890 on January 7, 2003. Cavazos admitted he regularly gave the co-defendant city official cash when he received payments on the city contracts.
Trevino admitted to providing free materials to the same co-defendant city officials for the installation of stucco on the officials former home during the fall of 2002. Daniel Rodriguez, who was Trevino’s business partner at the time, currently serving time in federal prison as a result of another public corruption case, then paid $2,750 to the individuals who installed the stucco materials on the official’s home. In a recorded conversation, Trevino told an undercover agent about providing the free stucco to the official, and that thereafter the co-defendant city official had let him know he owed him for the work. In May 2003, the City of Mission awarded Trevino and Rodriguez a $97,999 contract for the construction of the skate park at Catholic War Veterans Park. One month prior to the awarding of this contract, Rodriguez told the agent he was going to come in as the low bidder on the skate park project and then would make money by getting subsequent change orders approved. The City of Mission paid $49,000 above the original bid amount as a result of change orders on the project. Rodriguez was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in this case.
The investigation leading to the charges against Cavazos and Trevino was conducted by special agents with the McAllen Office of the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United State Attorneys Gregg Costa and Larry Eastepp.
The two Mission city officials charged in the same case are both pending trial on the charges and are presumed innocent unless and until convicted through due process of law.