Elpidio Gongora, Mail Fraud, Texas 2023
San Antonio Man Charged in Mail Fraud Scheme
A federal grand jury has returned a superseding indictment against 46-year-old San Antonio businessman Elpidio Gongora, also known as 'Pete Gongora,' and three other individuals for their roles in a scheme to defraud personal injury clients.
Gongora, along with his bookkeeper Rosa Ramirez, 48, of San Antonio, Juan Rodriguez, 47, of San Antonio, and Ronald Higgins, a 53-year-old former San Antonio attorney and current Sugarland, TX resident, are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The indictment alleges that from 2009 through 2014, Gongora, aided and abetted by Ramirez and Rodriguez, operated the law offices of several personal injury attorneys, including the Law Office of Ronald Higgins, in the city of San Antonio and elsewhere in Texas, Arkansas, and New Mexico.
The indictment alleges that Gongora and Ramirez stole money from these attorneys and their 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.
Gongora is also charged with five counts of mail fraud, five counts of bankruptcy fraud, one count of tax evasion, and five counts of aggravated identity theft. Ramirez is also charged with five counts of mail fraud and five counts of aggravated identity theft.
Gongora remains in federal custody after being arrested in April at the San Antonio International Airport. Court summonses will be issued for the other defendants.
Upon conviction, conspiracy to commit mail fraud and mail fraud are punishable by imprisonment up to 20 years; bankruptcy fraud, up to five years; tax evasion, up to five years; and, aggravated identity theft, a term of two years.
According to the indictment, Gongora and his wife filed for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in the Western District of Texas in 2013. Gongora failed to disclose to the Bankruptcy Trustee that he owned personal assets, including 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.
The indictment further alleges that Gongora willfully attempted to evade paying over $1 million in taxes owed to the Internal Revenue Service for calendar years 2003 through 2005 and 2007 through 2013.
An indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The charges resulted from an investigation conducted by agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and the U.S. Trustee's Office. Assistant United States Attorney Bud Paulissen is prosecuting this case on behalf of the Government.
Gongora's current status is that he remains in federal custody. The other defendants will be issued court summonses.
Defendant Information:
Elpidio Gongora (aka 'Pete Gongora')
Age: 46
City: San Antonio, TX
State: Texas
Charges: Conspiracy to commit mail fraud, mail fraud, bankruptcy fraud, tax evasion, and aggravated identity theft
Arrest Date: April
Current Status: In federal custody
Amount owed to IRS: Over $1 million
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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