Former Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office evidence tech pleads guilty to stealing cash

EDINBURG — A former Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office evidence technician pleaded guilty Monday morning to one count of theft after it was discovered he had stolen nearly $30,000 and a gun storage box in 2022.

Miguel David Soliz, 37, of Raymondville, was initially charged with 21 counts of tampering with government records, but had those charges dismissed as part of a plea deal where he pleaded guilty to theft.

Soliz was sentenced to 10 years of community supervision, is forbidden from working in law enforcement and will have to pay $45,042 in restitution.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Soliz stole $28,576 and a gun storage box between the months of March and May in 2022.

A former colleague who noticed the missing money ran an inquiry that revealed modifications to computerized evidence logs which triggered an internal investigation.

It was during the investigation that authorities learned Soliz made the modifications to the logs by using various employee identifications to steal the cash.

Soliz later confessed and was placed under arrest.

“Sheriff’s Investigators met with Miguel David Soliz who provided a voluntary statement of accused, admitting to making changes to the computerized governmental logs and taking a gun storage box,” the affidavit stated.

After executing a search warrant at Soliz’s residence, the sheriff’s office recovered currency and the stolen gun storage box from a safe.