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Two of the three suspects charged for their involvement in smuggling contraband to a federal inmate at the East Hidalgo Detention Center in La Villa were sentenced to time served.
Jose Martin Espinoza, Jr., a former prison guard, and Abel Angel Solis were charged with graft and conflict of interest in federal court.
Espinoza, who pleaded guilty in late April to his role in the scheme, was sentenced on Monday to two days of time served and two years of supervised release with the first nine months in home confinement.
Solis was sentenced on July 31 and received 785 days of time served and two years of supervised release.
Each of the two men were charged with one count for the smuggling event at the federal detention facility in La Villa on May 17, 2022.
“On May 17, 2022, Espinoza attempted to enter the detention center for his normally scheduled duty,” a news release stated. “At that time, other prison officials conducted a search and found a cellphone wrapped in cellophane inside his work cap.”
Espinoza and Solis were found to have Cash App transactions totalling $1,500 for the delivery of three phones from Espinoza to Pharr resident Sixto Gonzalez Jr.
On May 15, 2023, Gonzalez pleaded guilty to hostage taking for luring a 19-year-old man to Mexico in order to force a ransom to be paid for his safe return, a news release stated.
That man was beaten.
Gonzalez has not been sentenced and court records don’t reflect a sentencing date. He is scheduled for sentencing on Aug. 13 in the hostage taking case and faces up to life in prison.
