An engineer charged in the western Hidalgo County corruption case may head to trial in November.
During a hearing on Wednesday morning, the attorney who represents Mariano Garcia, 49, of Mission announced he’s ready for trial.
Mariano Garcia, center in the black mask, during a La Joya Economic Development Corp. meeting in January 2022. (Photo by Dave Hendricks / The Progress Times.)
Garcia is accused of paying nearly $250,000 to Andres “Andy” Morales — a major player in western Hidalgo County politics — to win a contract with the Agua Special Utility District.
“The whole issue is, in my opinion, whether there was a quid pro quo,” said attorney Heriberto “Eddie” Medrano of Harlingen, who represents Garcia.
Medrano said the evidence will show no such agreement existed.
The case against Garcia is part of a federal investigation that uncovered widespread corruption in western Hidalgo County.
Documents filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas detail a conspiracy that involved more than a dozen public officials. They steered contracts to Performance Services Inc., an Indiana-based company that specialized in “energy savings” projects, in exchange for bribes and kickbacks.
The investigation also revealed other crimes, including bankruptcy fraud, a conspiracy by La Joya school district administrators to bypass the competitive bidding process and an extortion scheme.
Morales and 10 other people, including four businessmen, two former La Joya school board trustees and the former mayor of Peñitas, pleaded guilty.
The case against Garcia involved Agua SUD, which approved contracts with Performance Services Inc. in 2018 and 2019.
Agua SUD paid M. Garcia Engineering about $346,000 to supervise Performance Services Inc., according to documents released under the Texas Public Information Act. Garcia became the “Owner Representative.”
The FBI served Agua SUD with a federal grand jury subpoena for records on Performance Services Inc. and M. Garcia Engineering in May 2021. A grand jury indicted Garcia on a federal theft charge in June 2022.
According to the indictment, the agreement between Agua SUD and M. Garcia Engineering was part of a pay-to-play scheme that involved Garcia, Morales and former Agua SUD General Manager Jose E. “Eddie” Saenz.
“Defendant gave approximately $249,839.13 to Andres Morales, through RGV Redlight, as instructed by the Agua SUD General Manager,” according to the indictment, “intending to influence and reward said General Manager for his official support and recommendation for Agua SUD to award Defendant’s company a contract to serve as an owner’s representative in connection with an energy savings project.”
Garcia pleaded not guilty. He returned to court Wednesday for a pre-trial hearing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Roberto “Bobby” Lopez Jr. said the government would need about two-and-a-half days to present the case. Medrano, the attorney who represents Garcia, estimated the trial would take about 3 days.
U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez scheduled jury selection for Nov. 2. If convicted, Garcia faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison.
