A 51-year-old Edinburg politiquero accused in a federal bribery case is back in jail for violating the terms of his community supervision in a driving while intoxicated case.
Authorities booked Miguel Angel Garza into the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center Wednesday.
In late May, state District Judge Mario E. Ramirez Jr. revoked Garza’s community supervision following his May 10 federal arrest on bribery allegations.
Garza had pleaded guilty Nov. 5, 2018, to driving while intoxicated (third or more) and received four years of community supervision and 240 hours of community service.
His arrest on the federal allegations was a violation of that sentence. However, prosecutors also noted that Garza has failed to work nearly 64 hours of community service.
It’s not immediately clear whether authorities picked Garza up or whether he turned himself in at the jail.
The federal indictment against Garza alleges he was involved in a kickback scheme with former elected officials who sold their votes on contracts the city awarded.
Prosecutors allege the scheme involved federal funds in excess of $10,000 that the city of Edinburg received in 2019 and 2020 for “grants, contracts, subsidies, loans, guarantees, insurance, and other forms of federal assistance.”
Those former elected officials, who have not been publicly named, are referred to as “Official A” and “Official B.”
A “Person 1” who owned an Edinburg business is also listed in the indictment, which alleges “Person 1” attempted to obtain contracts and work agreements with the city while trying to maintain existing contracts and work agreements.
Garza is accused of “knowingly, and corruptly” aiding and abetting both “Official A” and “Official B” with soliciting and demanding cash bribes of over $5,000 in order for the elected officials to vote favorably on contracts awarded to a business controlled by “Person 1.”
Federal prosecutors allege the scheme spanned from June 1, 2019, to March 1, 2020.
The Monitor previously reported that the FBI raided Garza’s home in February 2020.
Whispers of a pay-to-play scheme involving Edinburg officials began surfacing following the raid and during a hearing in the voter fraud case against former Edinburg Mayor Richard Molina, Garza admitted while on the witness stand that the FBI questioned him about Molina, the mayor’s relationships and about a pay-to-play scheme, but he ultimately denied cooperating with an FBI investigation into Molina.
Molina has not been charged with any crime related to Garza’s case and has pleaded not guilty to the voter fraud charges, claiming the case is a witch hunt against him because he voted against awarding an insurance contract to Mary Alice Palacios, the aunt of Hidalgo County District Attorney Ricardo Rodriguez Jr. Palacios filed the initial complaint that resulted in the charges against Molina.
Garza had been free after posting 10% of a $100,000 bond in the federal case on May 12.
The last movement in his federal case was a June 29 sealed event.
