The Peñitas city manager has pleaded guilty to federal bribery charges in relation to two separate incidents.
Omar X. Romero pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of bribery related to a transaction with the Agua Special Utility District, and one count of concealing assets related to his involvement in the bankruptcy filing of Hidalgo County EMS.
Romero entered his guilty pleas at the McAllen federal courthouse to the two counts levied against him in a criminal information report, which was issued last Friday.
The first count — a Travel Act violation — alleges that Romero “carried on “an unlawful activity, namely bribery,” during the sale of a water tank to Agua SUD in January 2018.
In a separate issue, count 2 alleges that from June 25, 2020, through Aug. 21, 2020, Romero unlawfully received $50,000 from Hidalgo County Emergency Services Foundation, which is a private company that operates Hidalgo County EMS and is undergoing bankruptcy proceedings.
The CEO of that company, Kenneth B. Ponce, of Lyford, pleaded guilty on March 17 to conspiracy to commit bankruptcy fraud.
He is scheduled for sentencing on Dec. 21 and faces up to five years in prison and has been ordered to pay $124,000 in restitution.
In Romero’s case, the United States is seeking a total of $81,875 in currency as a forfeiture because prosecutors believe it is derived from federal violations.
His status with the city of Peñitas isn’t immediately clear.
Romero was appointed the chief restructuring officer during Hidalgo County EMS’ bankruptcy proceedings.
In a news release regarding Ponce’s guilty plea, federal authorities said he admitted to receiving “an interest payment” of $50,000 from another individual. That money was embezzled from the Hidalgo County EMS bankruptcy estate.
Romero is scheduled for sentencing on Jan. 18.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect that count 1 of the criminal complaint involved a transaction between Romero and Agua SUD. The headline was also corrected to reflect that the two charges represent two separate alleged schemes.
