Vela Family, Public Corruption, Texas 2013

Three members of the Vela family, including the mayor of Progreso, Texas, have been arrested and charged with a slew of crimes, including bribery and theft, according to a federal indictment.

José Guadalupe Vela Jr., 64, Omar Leonel Vela, 35, and Michael Vela, 29, were taken into custody in Progreso on August 21, 2013, and are expected to appear before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in McAllen tomorrow morning.

The indictment, which was sealed until the arrests were made, alleges that the Vela family members used their control of the Progreso municipal government and the Progreso Independent School District (PISD) to extract bribes and kickbacks from service providers to the district and the city. PISD receives over $1 million per year in federal funds from the U.S. Department of Education.

The indictment charges José Vela, the maintenance and transportation supervisor for PISD, with controlling members of the PISD Board of Trustees through a system of reward and retaliation. Board members who voted as directed by José Vela were allegedly rewarded with bribe money, while those who did not follow his direction were faced with retaliation.

Omar Vela, the mayor of Progreso, is accused of receiving bribes from a construction company in exchange for contracts with the city and PISD. The indictment alleges that Omar Vela received approximately $85,000 in bribes between 2004 and 2006. Michael Vela, the president of the PISD Board of Trustees, is accused of participating in the scheme and receiving kickbacks from an electrical and plumbing supply company.

The indictment also alleges that Omar Vela instructed the owner of the electrical and plumbing supply company to provide fraudulent invoices to PISD and the City of Progreso for products that were not supplied. When the invoices were paid, Omar Vela allegedly instructed the owner of the supply company to return the funds to Omar Vela as kickbacks. Through this scheme, Omar Vela is alleged to have stolen more than $14,000 from the City of Progreso and PISD.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI, and Assistant United States Attorney Robert S. Johnson is prosecuting the case. The indictment charges each of the Vela family members with conspiracy, mail fraud, violations of the Travel Act, theft, and bribery. If convicted, each faces up to 20 years in prison for mail fraud, five years for the conspiracy, 10 years for each of the bribery and theft involving federal programs, and five years for each of the six counts of violations of the travel act. All charges also carry a possible maximum fine of $250,000.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

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