Reprint from the Progress Times - June 6, 2008
©Progress Times 2008 - All Rights Reserved

 

County Elections Administrator indicted

 

On Wednesday, one day after a grand jury returned four sealed indictments regarding alleged fraudulent rental car receipts filed by the elections department, Hidalgo County Elections Administrator Teresa Navarro and three former elections employees turned themselves in to authorities on charges including theft, document tampering and organized crime. All four were released later that day.

Specifically, Navarro faces three counts of theft by a public servant, one count of engaging in organized criminal activity and one count of tampering with government records. Rene Solis faces two counts of theft by a public servant, one count of engaging organized criminal activity and four counts of tampering with government records. Solis is the former operations director for the county elections department. Amado Cavazos Jr. faces one count of engaging in organized criminal activity and one count of theft by a public servant. Patricia Zapata faces four counts of tampering with government records and one count of engaging in organized criminal activity.

The investigation into Navarro and her former employees began in March of this year when a county audit showed credit card receipt discrepancies as well as unusual credit card expenditures and travel records.

According to Hidalgo County sheriff’s deputies, the four are charged with defrauding the county of up to $20,000 by renting vehicles for personal use and the use of their family members and friends and covering up the improper use of funds by altering receipts before submitting them to county auditors.

Navarro, who took office in 2000, came under fire earlier this year in response to auditor Ray Eufracio’s report. In April, the Hidalgo County Election Commission voted on whether Navarro could keep her job. Although the Election Commission voted unanimously to dismiss her, the Hidalgo County Commissioners Court, after discussing the matter in executive session, decided not to call for an official vote. The election code only allows the county to dismiss or replace an elections administrator. The commissioners cannot suspend Navarro.

According to the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s office, a second set of indictments is forthcoming.