Elpidio Gongora, Defrauding Clients and Tax Evasion, Texas 2016

San Antonio Businessman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Defrauding Personal Injury Clients, Tax Evasion and Hiding Assets from U.S. Bankruptcy Trustee

In San Antonio this morning, 47-year-old San Antonio businessman Elpidio Gongora (aka "Pete Gongora") was sentenced to four years in federal prison for a scheme to defraud personal injury clients; evading payment of more than $1.6 million in taxes; and, attempting to hide assets valued at $429,000 from the Bankruptcy Trustee.

Elpidio Gongora, 47, of San Antonio, Texas, was sentenced to 4 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit mail fraud, bankruptcy fraud, and tax evasion. Gongora was also ordered to pay $3,490,000 restitution and placed on supervised release for a period of 3 years after completing his prison term.

Gongora operated the law offices of several personal injury attorneys, including the Law Office of Ronald Higgins in San Antonio and elsewhere in Texas, Arkansas, and New Mexico. By pleading guilty, Gongora admitted that he stole money from personal injury clients by failing to pay monies owed to clients under settlement agreements or to pay obligations for medical treatment and physical therapy after committing to do so.

In 2013, Gongora and his wife filed for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in the Western District of Texas. By pleading guilty, Gongora admitted to his failure to disclose to the Bankruptcy Trustee that he owned personal assets that included a 33-foot Chris Craft cabin cruiser; a 29-foot 2005 Seaswirl boat; a 2005 Ford F-150 truck; real property located on Elm Valley in San Antonio; and, a residence located in Aransas Pass, TX.

Gongora also admitted to willfully attempting to evade paying over $1.6 million in taxes, penalties, and interest owed to the Internal Revenue Service for calendar years 2003 through 2005 and 2007 through 2013. Gongora’s co-defendants, Rosa Ramirez, Juan Rodriguez, and Ronald Higgins, have all pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud.

Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and the U.S. Trustee’s Office conducted this investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Bud Paulissen is prosecuting this case on behalf of the Government.

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