A former Brownsville juvenile detention center employee was sentenced to 50 years in prison for theft by a public servant.
Gilberto Escamilla, the former purchaser for Darrel B. Hester Juvenile Detention Center, confessed he used taxpayer money to buy fajita meat and sell it for profit.
According to an audit report, more than $1.2 million dollars were shaved from food purchases and went undetected for 9 years.
On August 7, the jig was up when 800 lbs. of fajitas was delivered to the juvenile center while Escamilla was at a doctor’s appointment. Officials have said the juvenile department doesn’t serve fajitas.
“If he had been at work that day we wouldn’t be having this conversation.” said Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr. when interviewed by News Center 23 following Escamilla’s arrest.
Visiting State District Judge J. Manuel Banales sentenced Escamilla to 50 years in prison at the request of Cameron County Asst. District Attorney Peter Gilman to make an example of his abuse of position and stealing from taxpayers.
his real crime is that he carried it out without running it through ‘da boys’ at the top
With cousin is in charge of stealing the tacos and hot sauce?
Yet sheriff “saving money” and transferring unused fund to personal accounts is legal, only difference is they did not sell food for profit just didn’t buy it, no crime here.
Or the guys who let man dehydrate to death in their custody serving 5 days in jail… that should be hammurabi law. Bet no one will fudge the time check records again.
This guy getting 50 years seem a bit much in comparison, after all just like first guys he only stole and no one died. Or maybe it’s the other way.
“… sentenced Escamilla to 50 years in prison at the request of Cameron County Asst. District Attorney Peter Gilman to make an example of his abuse of position and stealing from taxpayers.”
Who will in turn be HUNG for ‘his abuse of position and stealing from taxpayers’.
That POS DIST. ATTORNEY is guilty of FAR more crimes against the American people.
1.2 Million in fajita meat? I guess the taxpayers were supplying every Mexican restaurant in the country.
I think this goes on all the time, and they made an example out of this guy to convince the public that thieves in government actually get caught.
It’s kind of like why we’re hearing about cops being arrested lately, too. Certain headlines have to be created for propaganda reasons.
You do know why it had to be 50 years, don’t you? Because prisoners get out on good behavior serving only a small portion of their time, so to make it effective at all, the original time has to be greater. So now you know the rest of the story. That’s my take on it.