Eugenio Pedraza, Records Falsification, Texas 2011

A former U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General special agent in charge has been accused of leading a scheme to falsify records in federal investigations in South Texas.

Eugenio Pedraza, 49, of McAllen, Texas, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Brownsville, Texas, on six counts of falsification of records in federal investigations, five counts of obstructing an agency proceeding, one count of obstruction of justice and one count of conspiracy.

According to the indictment, in September 2011, Pedraza allegedly directed his subordinates to engage in a scheme to falsify documents in open criminal investigative case files, including investigations in which DHS employees were suspected of participating in the unlawful smuggling of undocumented aliens and/or narcotics into the United States.

The indictment charges that Pedraza allegedly created and placed into these investigative files backdated memoranda of activity that falsely reflected investigative activity by agents that had not occurred; backdated case review worksheets that falsely reflected supervisory case reviews that Pedraza had not conducted with his subordinate agents; and backdated, unsent letters that were signed by Pedraza and purported to inform the FBI of the opening of a DHS-OIG investigation.

The purpose of the scheme, according to the indictment, was to conceal severe lapses in DHS-OIG’s investigative standards from individuals conducting an internal field office inspection. The scheme was allegedly devised to conceal Pedraza’s failure to ensure that investigations were being conducted promptly and thoroughly, his failure to provide his subordinates with adequate training and supervision, and his failure to ensure that the FBI was being timely notified of DHS-OIG’s investigations.

Marco Rodriguez, 40, of Mission, Texas, was also indicted on two counts of falsification of records in federal investigations, two counts of obstructing an agency proceeding, and one count of conspiracy.

The charge of falsification of records in federal investigations carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Pedraza is scheduled to appear in court for arraignment on [date].

Wayne Ball, a former DHS-OIG special agent, pleaded guilty in January 2013 to one count of conspiracy to falsify records in federal investigations and to obstruct an agency proceeding for his participation in the scheme.

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