ALPINE, Texas — Forty-three-year-old Ernesto Villarreal Jr., of Marfa, has pled guilty to stealing federal funds, according to a news release from the United States Attorney's Office Western District of Texas.
The release stated Villarreal was employed as a business manager and served as the tax collector and assessor for Valentine ISD, in Valentine, Texas.
"Villarreal schemed to defraud Valentine ISD by using two ISD credit cards to make hundreds of unauthorized purchases, issuing over $10,000 in unauthorized checks to himself from Valentine ISD accounts," according to the news release.
The release also states that Villarreal issued over $20,000 in checks to cover personal expenses owed to a credit card company.
Villarreal also changed current and former employees bank account information.
According to the release, after changing this bank information, Villarreal distributed over $100,000 of fraudulent payments to those same current and former employees for work that never occurred. That money actually went directly to Mr. Villarreal's bank account.
With these newly acquired funds, Villarreal used these funds for hundreds of personal purchases including but not limited to travel, lodging, home improvement, hardware store purchases, his own cellphone bill, fuel, oil changes and other lifestyle purchases.
It is believed that Villareal caused $300,000 of losses to Valentine ISD.
The news release stated that Villarreal pled guilty to one count of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds and eight counts of wire fraud. The scheduled date of sentencing is Feb. 21, 2025.
He can face up to 10 years in prison for the theft count and up to 20 years in prison for each wire fraud count.