Three former detention officers will have a chance to get out of jail while awaiting trial on accusations they stole lists of immigration detainees and sold the information to a yet-to-be-named attorney who used the lists to solicit clients.
Benito Barrientez, 42, of Lyford; Damian Ortiz, 30, of Weslaco; and Exy Adelaida Gomez, 42, of Los Fresnos, all appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ronald Morgan Tuesday afternoon and entered not guilty pleas to charges of conspiracy to commit bribery and bribery.
Federal prosecutors say Barrientez and Ortiz worked for the Willacy County Regional Detention Center as a classification clerk and a senior program director and Gomez worked as a correction officer at the El Valle Detention Center when they allegedly hatched the scheme to provide the lists to the attorney, known as “Person A” in exchange for cash.
Barrientez, Ortiz and Gomez, who now wore prison garb instead of the street clothes they were arrested in, said little during the Tuesday hearing where Morgan granted each suspect a $50,000 bond with a $1,000 cash deposit.
All three are charged with conspiracy to commit bribery, in addition to two counts of bribery Barrientez is charged with while Ortiz and Gomez each face a count of bribery.
The indictment describes allegations against the trio spanning the month of January that include Barrientez calling Gomez to ask her for a list of detainees from the El Valley Detention Center that would be handed over to “Person A” for a payment of $500.
After obtaining the list, Barrientez and Gomez allegedly met in a Harlingen Parking lot where he paid Gomez the $500 before Barrientez gave the list to Ortiz, who delivered it to someone in Weslaco who paid Ortiz $350.
On the same day, Barrientez allegedly obtained a detainee list from the Port Isabel Detention Center from Gomez and paid her $200.
The next day, Ortiz allegedly paid Barrientez $400 for the list.
The indictment goes on to allege that “Person A” sent a text to Ortiz seeking a detainee list from the Port Isabel Detention Center for $1,000. “Person A” allegedly gave Ortiz a red gift bag with $1,000, according to the indictment, which states that a person associated with “Person A” visited a Honduran national detained at the El Valle Detention Center in an effort to convince the Honduran to hire “Person A’s” law firm.
Federal authorities allege that “Person A” made continuing efforts to obtain the lists, as well as to prevent discovery of the alleged payments.
The indictment lists two more instances where “Person A” paid Ortiz $500 and $670.
Federal prosecutors and defense attorneys have estimated the scheduled July 22 jury trial could last up to four days.
