(MCALLEN, Texas) - An indictment charging three Texas Department of Transportation (TX DOT) employees for accepting bribes has been unsealed following their arrest, United States Attorney Don DeGabrielle announced today. Each of the three TX DOT employees, Cresenciano “Chano” Falcon, 56, of Edinburg, Texas, a district maintenance administrator; Ray Llanes, 50, of San Benito, Texas, and Noe Beltran, 42, of San Juan, Texas, each a highway inspector, is charged with one count of violating Title 18, U.S.C Section 666, accepting bribes regarding programs receiving federal funds.
(Media-Newswire.com) - ( MCALLEN, Texas ) - An indictment charging three Texas Department of Transportation ( TX DOT ) employees for accepting bribes has been unsealed following their arrest, United States Attorney Don DeGabrielle announced today.
Each of the three TX DOT employees, Cresenciano “Chano” Falcon, 56, of Edinburg, Texas, a district maintenance administrator; Ray Llanes, 50, of San Benito, Texas, and Noe Beltran, 42, of San Juan, Texas, each a highway inspector, is charged with one count of violating Title 18, U.S.C Section 666, accepting bribes regarding programs receiving federal funds. TX DOT is a state agency which received more than $10,000 in federal funding in 2006, 2007 and 2008. Section 666 prohibits any employee of a state agency which receives in excess of $10,000 federal assistance in any given year from corruptly soliciting, demanding, accepting or agreeing to accept anything of value from any person intending to be influenced or rewarded in connection with any business of the state agency valued at $5,000 or more. The indictment was returned under seal by a Houston grand jury April 2, 2008, and unsealed today.
Falcon and Llanes are accused individually of corruptly soliciting, agreeing to accept and accepting $2,000 and $200 in cash, respectively, from a contractor for TX DOT sweeping contracts valued at more than $5,000 in November 2007. Beltran is accused of corruptly soliciting, agreeing to accept and accepting $200 in January 2008 from a contractor for TX DOT sweeping contracts having a value of $5,000. If convicted, each faces up to 10 years imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine.
The defendants were arrested today without incident. Beltran and Falcon appeared before U.S. Magistrate Dorina Ramos and were released on bond. Llanes will make his initial appearance tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. also before Judge Ramos.
The prosecution is the result of an investigation conducted by the Texas Rangers and the McAllen office of the FBI into corruption and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jim McAlister.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until convicted through due process of law.
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