Charges were dismissed against Pedro Garza Jr., former Cameron County tax investigator, on Friday.
Charges were dismissed against Pedro Garza Jr., former Cameron County tax investigator, on Friday.
Garza previously was charged with bribery, a second-degree felony; engaging in organized criminal activity, a first-degree felony; and official oppression, a Class A misdemeanor.
“It is not in the state’s best interest to prosecute the employees before we prosecute Mr. Tony Yzaguirre,” Saenz said in a statement. “The investigation continues.”
Nathaniel Perez, Garza’s attorney, said the D.A.’s office had never taken that stance before in open court.
“They need further investigation? What do they need to investigate? That’s the typical excuse they use when they dismiss a case and don’t have any evidence,” Perez said.
Earlier this year, Garza was arrested alongside dealer/notary supervisor Omar Sanchez-Paz, Chief of Investigations Lt. Jose Mireles and tax assessor-collector Tony Yzaguirre as the result of a two-year Department of Public Safety investigation dubbed “Operation Dirty Deeds,” in which several employees had been accused of taking bribes and other charges.
DPS later arrested Claudia Elisa Sanchez in March and charged her with one count of tampering with government records.
Charges are pending against the other employees.
Yzaguirre is scheduled to appear in court for his trial in November.
A more complete version of this story is available on www.myBrownsvilleHerald.com
