Read more: Local, Crime, Politics, Juan Angel Guerra, Former District Attorney, Wackenhut, Geo Group, Corruption, Kickbacks, Obstruction of Justice, Raymondville, Willacy County, Rio Grande Valley, Texas
Juan Angel Guerra File Photo
Former Willacy County District Attorney Juan Angel Guerra has filed a federal lawsuit against Texas State Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr. and 28 others.
The former district attorney alleges that Lucio and the others used their positions to derail an investigation into private prisons in Willacy County.
Guerra claims in his 35-page lawsuit that he secured three corruption convictions against three Willacy County officials in state and federal courts.
The former district attorney claims he was investigating the April 2001 death of inmate Gregorio de la Rosa when he began to uncover a massive kickback and corruption scheme between the private prison companies and public officials.
Guerra claims then-U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales ordered then-U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas Don DeGabrielle to halt a public integrity investigation.
The former district attorney claims that several public officials with connections to the prisons dragged his name through the mud and raised false criminal charges that ultimately cost him a bid for re-election and obstructed the investigation.
The lawsuit names the following defendants:
• Texas State Senator Eddie Lucio
• Willacy County
• City of Raymdonville
• Former Willacy County Judge Simon Salinas
• Raymondville Police Chief Uvaldo Zamora
• Special prosecutor Mervyn Mosbacker
• Special prosecutor Gustavo Garza
• Raymondville Police Detective Daniel Cavazos, Jr.
• State District Judge Migdalia Lopez
• State District Judge Janet Leal
• Willacy County Sheriff’s Department Deputy David Martinez
• Willacy County District Clerk Gilbert Lozano
• Corporation Wackenhut Correction Inc.
• Hale Mills Construction Inc.
• Hale Mills Construction Ltd.
• James Parkey, Corplan Correction, Inc.
• Corplan Correction Inc.
• Michael Harling, Municipal Capitol Market, Inc.
• Municipal Capitol Market Inc.
• Ramon Vela
• Phil Parker, Hale Mission Construction
• J. C. Conner, Management and raining Corporation, Inc
• Management and raining Corporation, Inc
• Bill Bryan
• R Scott Marquardt, Management and raining Corporation, Inc
• Texas Rangers Captain Clete Buckaloo
• Former U.S. Attorney for Southern District of Texas Donald DeGarbrielle
• U.S. Attorney for Southern District of Texas Tim Johnson
• Former U.S. Attorney Alberto Gonzales
Among the accusations are engaging in organized criminal activity, accepting of an honorarium, abuse of official capacity, official oppression, murder and manslaughter.
The former district attorney had secured a criminal indictment involving similar accusations against former Vice President Dick Cheney and several others named in this new lawsuit back in November 2008.
The case was thrown out but Guerra continues to fight against abuses in private prisons in Texas and other states.
Click here to download a PDF copy of Guerra’s lawsuit
