Action 4 News has confirmed that Texas State Rep. Ismael 'Kino' Flores (D-Palmview) is facing six separate indictments in Travis County.
Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg announced on Friday that Flores was indicted for failing to disclose sources of income, gifts received, real estate holdings and sales of certain real properties in the personal financial statement that he is required to file each year as a state officer.
The 50-year-old Rio Grande Valley lawmaker has served in the Texas House of Representatives since 1997.
Action 4 News attempted to contact Flores through his Hidalgo County office.
Flores said in a written statement that he was "extremely disappointed" by the Travis County District Attorney's Office Public Integrity Unit.
The Valley lawmaker said he cooperated with thier investigation adding that the case was based on "incomplete" reports. He resolved to cooperate and bring closure to the matter.
The Travis County District Attorney’s Office reported that each of the six indictments related to a separate financial statements for a different year starting in 2004 and continuing through 2009.
The six indictments contain a total of 16 counts of tampering with a governmental record and three counts of perjury.
Court records show that that Flores failed to disclose following amounts of income:
- $152,000 in 2004
- $125,000 in 2005
- $115,000 in 2006
- $135,000 in 2007
- $185,000 in 2008
- $135,000 in 2009
One of the indictments alleges that Flores failed to disclose income that one of his dependant children received from HillCo Partners, an Austin lobby firm.
Prosecutors also allege that Flores failed to disclose the ownership or sale of:
- A lot in Hidalgo County
- A cabin on the inter-coastal waterway in Cameron County
- A small ranch in Hidalgo County
- A residence in Mission
- A condominium in Austin
- Land in Bastrop County
- A residence in Austin
The indictments also allege that he failed to disclose certain gifts, including trips on a plane owned by the LaMantia family in 2007 and an ownership interest in a racehorse given to one of his children by a lobbyist in 2004.
If convicted on any of the tampering with any of the governmental record charges, Flores could from six months to two years in state jail and up to a $10,000 dollar fine
The perjury charges each carry up to one year in jail and up to a $4,000 dollar fine.
Prosecutors said the venue for prosecution in the case is in Travis County because the personal financial statements were filed with the Texas Ethics Commission in Austin.
The six cases are being handled by the Travis County District Attorney's Office's Public Integrity Unit.
Prosecutors told Action 4 News that the Federal Bureau of Investigation assisted in the investigation.
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