FORMER CONSTABLE VICTOR TREVINO AVOIDS JAIL TIME, SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS PROBATION

Longtime Harris County Precinct 6 Constable Victor Trevino won't face jail time but will remain a convicted felon.

Trevino, who pleaded guilty earlier this month to misapplication of fiduciary duty, a felony that could have put him behind bars for 10 years, will instead face 10 years probation, along with a $1,000 fine and 150 hours of community service, a judge ruled at his sentencing hearing Monday.

Prosecutors had claimed that Trevino siphoned cash from his well-known charity, Constable's Athletic Recreational and Education Events Inc. (CARE), to buy Lotto tickets and fund gambling trips to Louisiana casinos. Early this year, the Harris County DA's Office had offered Trevino what, to the rest of us regular non-elected folk, seemed like the deal of a lifetime: avoid four felony indictments by simply resigning and copping to the equivalent of a traffic ticket (a class C misdemeanor). Trevino, for whatever reason, rejected the deal, but then pleaded guilty to one felony count early this month after only one day of trial.

(For what it's worth, we here still wonder: if the case was so strong that prosecutors could goose Trevino into pleading guilty to a felony after one day of trial, then why would the DA's office offer the deal -- step down, slap on the wrist, walk away -- in the first place? You can read an explanation from assistant DA Bill More, who prosecuted Trevino, here.)

Even more details about the charges against Trevino came out at Monday's sentencing hearing -- remember, the state only got through opening arguments before Trevino entered his guilty plea. As the Chron reports, the DA's fraud investigator George Jordan connected cashed CARE checks to deposits made to Trevino's personal bank accounts that just so happened to coincide with casino trips and lottery ticket purchases. Jordan's analysis showed that Trevino or his wife deposited at least $124,000 in cashed CARE checks into their accounts from 2008 to 2011, according to the Chron.

Harris County Commissioners officially accepted Trevino's resignation last week. They're expected to announce who will serve out the remaining two years of his term sometime today.

MUG SHOT OF CONSTABLE VICTOR TREVINO RELEASED!

Harris County Precinct 6 Constable Victor Trevino faces four felony indictments related to his political campaigns, his charity and the way he ran his constable’s office.Trevino has been charged with two counts of tampering with a government document, one count of abuse of official capacity and one count of misapplication of a fiduciary duty.The latter charge is the most serious: a third-degree felony carrying a potential penalty of 10 years in prison. It is related to “improprieties in the handling of funds” for CARE, a non-profit organization operated by him, according to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.Certified Public Accountant Bob Martin has seen the organization’s tax returns. He told FOX 26 News the documents did not meet the IRS’s minimum standards.Beyond stating lump sums for revenues and expenses, Martin says there were precious few details about how the money was actually spent.”There were checks that didn’t have any backup receipts for them,” Martin said. “They were just for lump sums and a lot of them were payable to a convenience store. It was very suspicious activity.”So where did the money go? Exactly where it was supposed to, says Victor Trevino’s attorney, Chip Lewis.”It was spent on all of the programs that he’s provided for Precinct 6 since he took office, 24 years ago,” said Lewis. “You’ll notice in all the indictments there is not one allegation of personal enrichment.”Nevertheless, there are now calls for Victor Trevino to step aside and they’re coming from the top official in Harris County.”I would hope Constable Trevino would understand the wisdom of removing himself from law enforcement until he gets this matter resolved,” Judge Ed Emmett told FOX 26 News.But the 7-term constable isn’t going anywhere, retorts his attorney.”There is absolutely no reason, given the mandate of his constituents, that he would step down and stop protecting his constituents that have resoundingly, seven elections in a row, reelected him,” said Lewis.The indictments against Trevino, which are the result of a 14-month-long investigation by the Harris County District Attorney’s Office Public Integrity Division, also accuse the constable of using his elected position to induce on-duty uniformed deputy constables to drive county vehicles to serve eviction and property vacate notices that were not relating to their employment; and of presenting campaign finance reports that failed to include mandatory contribution information, as required by law.On Friday, Trevino was taken to Harris County jail where he went through the bonding process. A court date has not been scheduled.Lewis says about 8 months ago, Trevino resigned his position with the non-profit organization CARE, which has been disbanded and is no longer in operation.

LAWSUIT: VICTOR TREVINO TAINTING POTENTIAL WITNESSES

Former Harris County Precinct 6 officer alleges retaliation and discrimination in a federal lawsuit

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- On the eve of a trial of Victor Trevino, one of Harris County's most prominent law enforcement chief's, a former deputy is alleging retaliation and discrimination in a federal lawsuit and said that Trevino is trying to paint him and others negatively in order to tarnish them as possible witnesses.

The man behind these accusations is former Harris County Precinct 6 Constable's officer Jarrell Caldwell, who said he was forced to resign with a "dishonorable" discharge in October of 2013.

Up until then, he was promoted and Caldwell said he had strong performance reviews at the office. And Caldwell was a Precinct 6 insider, working there for 14 years and was even one of Trevino's biggest single campaign donors with a $1,500 contribution, according to a 2012 report.

But after Trevino was re-elected -- and indicted -- Caldwell said Trevino squeezed Caldwell out of his job and kept him from getting a new one with the "dishonorable" tag.

Trevino says it was due to Caldwell's untruthfulness, which Caldwell denies.

"The name of the game is discredit before they testify," said Caldwell attorney Larry Watts.

Read the entire lawsuit here.

Trevino, Harris County's Precinct 6 Constable, is accused of four separate crimes, including one that he took money for personal use from a charity he founded. His trial comes in the wake of a series of investigative reports by ABC-13.

The long awaited trial started Thursday.

Prosecutors built their case against Trevino, at least in part, with grand jury testimony from some of Trevino's employees, including some of whom no longer work at the agency.

Caldwell may not be a witness in the Trevino trial, but has met repeatedly with prosecutors.

"I think they suspected Jarrell Caldwell knew more than they wanted him to tell... at trial," Watts said.

And it's not just Caldwell, according to the lawsuit. Tyrone Berry was a longtime senior staffer at Precinct 6.

Berry has been subpoenaed to testify at trial and also met with the grand jury that indicted Trevino.

Months after Berry testified he, too, was given a dishonorable discharge by Trevino.

In addition to disputing the dishonorable discharges, Caldwell's lawsuit outlines that Trevino has not been as harsh with some of his staffers who left his office -- even after being convicted of crimes.

Some examples in the lawsuit:

Reserve Deputy Tomas Roque pleaded guilty to guarding a cartel deliver cocaine across Houston in return for $2,000 while in his Precinct 6 uniform, according to the lawsuit.

He was given a general discharge, not a dishonorable one.

Mark Timmers was convicted of theft, but the lawsuit says, he was given a general discharge as well.

And according to the lawsuit, so was reserve Deputy Jose Castillo who was convicted of murder.

Officials with the Harris County Attorney's Office said they were aware of this federal suit but have not yet responded.

We asked Trevino if he was trying to discredit potential witnesses.

Trevino was silent, except to say, "Everyone is treaHOUSTON (KTRK) -- On the eve of a trial of Victor Trevino, one of Harris County's most prominent law enforcement chief's, a former deputy is alleging retaliation and discrimination in a federal lawsuit and said that Trevino is trying to paint him and others negatively in order to tarnish them as possible witnesses.

The man behind these accusations is former Harris County Precinct 6 Constable's officer Jarrell Caldwell, who said he was forced to resign with a "dishonorable" discharge in October of 2013.

Up until then, he was promoted and Caldwell said he had strong performance reviews at the office. And Caldwell was a Precinct 6 insider, working there for 14 years and was even one of Trevino's biggest single campaign donors with a $1,500 contribution, according to a 2012 report.

But after Trevino was re-elected -- and indicted -- Caldwell said Trevino squeezed Caldwell out of his job and kept him from getting a new one with the "dishonorable" tag.

Trevino says it was due to Caldwell's untruthfulness, which Caldwell denies.

"The name of the game is discredit before they testify," said Caldwell attorney Larry Watts.

Read the entire lawsuit here.

Trevino, Harris County's Precinct 6 Constable, is accused of four separate crimes, including one that he took money for personal use from a charity he founded. His trial comes in the wake of a series of investigative reports by ABC-13.

The long awaited trial started Thursday.

Prosecutors built their case against Trevino, at least in part, with grand jury testimony from some of Trevino's employees, including some of whom no longer work at the agency.

Caldwell may not be a witness in the Trevino trial, but has met repeatedly with prosecutors.

"I think they suspected Jarrell Caldwell knew more than they wanted him to tell... at trial," Watts said.

And it's not just Caldwell, according to the lawsuit. Tyrone Berry was a longtime senior staffer at Precinct 6.

Berry has been subpoenaed to testify at trial and also met with the grand jury that indicted Trevino.

Months after Berry testified he, too, was given a dishonorable discharge by Trevino.

In addition to disputing the dishonorable discharges, Caldwell's lawsuit outlines that Trevino has not been as harsh with some of his staffers who left his office -- even after being convicted of crimes.

Some examples in the lawsuit:

Reserve Deputy Tomas Roque pleaded guilty to guarding a cartel deliver cocaine across Houston in return for $2,000 while in his Precinct 6 uniform, according to the lawsuit.

He was given a general discharge, not a dishonorable one.

Mark Timmers was convicted of theft, but the lawsuit says, he was given a general discharge as well.

And according to the lawsuit, so was reserve Deputy Jose Castillo who was convicted of murder.

Officials with the Harris County Attorney's Office said they were aware of this federal suit but have not yet responded.

We asked Trevino if he was trying to discredit potential witnesses.

Trevino was silent, except to say, "Everyone is treated fairly and equally at our precinct."

If convicted, Trevino faces 10 years in prison.

Even though the series of ABC-13 stories ran in 2011 and Trevino was indicted in November 2012, he remained popular in the East End.

He won the Democratic primary in May 2012 and handily won re-election in November.

EX-HARRIS COUNTY CONSTABLE VICTOR TREVINO SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS PROBATION

HOUSTON - Former Harris County Precinct 6 Constable Victor Trevino was back in court, where was sentenced to 10 years probation after pleading guilty earlier this month to stealing money from his own charity.

For about an hour and a half, a fraud investigator from the Harris County District Attorney's Office testified that Trevino used more than $124,000 intended for his charity, for his personal use.

The investigator said Trevino repeatedly cashed checks from his charity and deposited the money into his personal bank account and took gambling trips not long after he cashed the checks from his charity.

The longtime constable pleaded guilty earlier this month to misappropriation of funds. He was forced to immediately resign as constable and to surrender his peace officer's license.

He served as a police officer, then constable for more than 30 years.

Trevino had been facing up to 10 years in prison, but a judge Monday gave him 10 years probation and a $1,000 fine.

The judge will also require Trevino to chose an approved charity to anonymously repay the money he took from the charity he started. And he is ordered to do 150 hours of community service.

THE NEWEST TROUBLE AT PRECINCT 6

HOUSTON -- A Houston constable says he's investigating his own department, looking to see if anyone has an improper connections to suspected pills mills disguised as pain clinics.

Victor Trevino is reacting to another embarrassing incident. This time, a DEA raid nets lots of cash and an unauthorized badge from his own department.

One county official tell us what we've uncovered is dangerous, very dangerous -- someone using unauthorized badges from a Houston constable's office.

When the DEA raided a fancy house in the Rice Village area last week, they couldn't have known about the can of worms they were getting ready to open. And the guy in the back of the squad car is smack down in the middle of it.

"You also have a police ID?" we asked him as he was sitting the back of a police car.

"No comment," he said.

Richard Romero's racketeering arrest was the Texas connection to a sweeping raid in Georgia -- part of the biggest pill mill bust in that state's history.

"They are drug dealers, ladies and gentleman. What do drug dealers do? They profit off of the addiction of other people," Dekalb County District Attorney Robert James said.

In Georgia, they seized hundreds of pounds of pills, and in Romero's house, they found a huge stash of cash.

But that's not all. The DEA confirms Romero had police credentials from Precinct 6. Romero denied it was his donations to the charity founded by the constable that got him the ID as a Precinct 6 liaison.

"I've had that for awhile. It has nothing to do with it. I help them raise funds," Romero said.

But then a curve ball. The constable claimed he didn't even know Romero had one of his police IDs.

"He's not aware that Romero Jr. is an active liaison until he's informed by the deputies after he was arrested here recently by the DEA," said Chip Lewis, attorney for Harris County Pct. 6 Constable Victor Trevino.

But the Romero connection is raising all kinds of questions. We found a memo from May of this year from the Romero family, asking for new police credentials because they lost their old ones. And guess who it was sent to? The constable.

"That gets into a point of what the constable knew, when he knew it," Lewis said.

Precinct 6 records show Richard Romero got his ID way back in 2007, and it's a family affair. Daddy got one, too. And it didn't take long for one of the Romeros to get into trouble.

The elder Richard Romero was busted in Beaumont, where he lives, for -- you guessed it -- impersonating a public servant. The charges were dismissed this year, but the indictment claimed Romero flashed this badge after a traffic wreck. You can see it says Precinct 6. At the very top of the badge it says liaison, but who reads a flashed badge that closely?

And we know some Precinct 6 commanders knew about the arrest from this email we found that they sent to investigators in Beaumont.

"...Bottom line is he is a liaison with this office but we do not give out badges," the email said.

Now the constable is claiming his commanders kept him in the dark about the whole arrest.

"Three of his top command staff knew about this and didn't tell him?" We asked Lewis.

"And I hope that the investigation reveals a very good reason for that. I hope it does not reveal that someone had a relationship with the Romeros and they didn't want the constable to know about that relationship," Lewis replied.

And then last week, the DEA finds another badge -- this one in the young Romero's home after it was raided.

"Constable Trevino never authorized and never would authorize the production, delivery of a badge to a community liaison," Lewis said.

The DEA says that badge has been turned back over to Precinct 6.

"That's not a Walmart badge," we told Lewis.

"No it's not. It looks way too real, and that's part of the constable's concern, and I'm confident the district attorney is concerned, also," he replied.

Tonight, a possible breakthrough in the case. The constable's lawyer tell us a Precinct 6 corporal named Jarell Caldwell has admitted getting the badges made for the Romeros. If you go to the 13 Undercover Interactive, you can see the corporal, along with Diva Takila James, who's also under investigation for possible time sheet fraud.

Caldwell has no comment tonight but the obvious questions is why, who else has these badges, and why doesn't the constable know who his department trusts with police IDs?

On the 13 Undercover Interactive, you can see all you want to know about these liaisons, even show you some of the folks who have these badges.

CHARITY THEFT TRIAL UNDERWAY FOR HARRIS COUTNY PCT. 6 CONSTABLE VICTOR TREVINO

HOUSTON – Harris County Precinct 6 Constable Victor Trevino is accused of stealing money from his own charity.

Trevino was indicted two years ago and the trial against him got underway Friday morning.

Trevino is accused of improperly using charity money from 2008 to 2011.

Trevino created the charity Constables Athletic Recreational and Education Events Incorporated more than two decades ago.

The initial investigation found that a captain at Precinct 6 signed blank checks from the charity's bank account. Court documents allege the signature on those checks looked like it had been forged.

On Thursday, Trevino claimed did nothing wrong.

"To be accountable and I've always taken that responsibility. Some people confused that by thinking that means there was some criminal conduct involved. By no mean there was never no criminal conduct involved," Trevino said. "It was just a matter of dealing with management issues that we have dealt with and will continue to do so."

Prosecutors had offered Trevino a plea deal but he declined.

HARRIS COUNTY CONSTABLE VICTOR TREVINO PLEADS GUILTY TO FINANCIAL MISCONDUCT

HOUSTON, TX - After 39 years in law enforcement, Harris County Precinct 6 Constable, Victor Trevino's career ended Monday in a courtroom with a guilty plea.

"The state is pleased that Mr. Trevino has finally taken responsibility for the crime that was committed,"says Harris County Assistant District Attorney, Bill Moore.

By pleading guilty to misapplication of fiduciary property, Trevino admitted he diverted money from his charity for personal use. Then he turned in his resignation.

The plea came one day after his trial began.

Trevino's defense attorney, Chip Lewis says, "the constable made the decision to put this matter behind him and move forward with the remaining chapters of his life. Those chapters will continue to include his support for all of his family, for the constituents and the members of the community that have always supported him."

Trevino spent the past 26 years as the elected Harris County Precinct 6 Constable.

Days earlier, prosecutors offered Trevino a chance to plea guilty to a misdemeanor, but he said no way, and claimed he was clear of any wrongdoing.

Then a change of heart. Trevino's guilty plea is now a felony, which could cost him 10 years in prison.

A judge will decide his sentence later this month.

The consequences that already cost him a career, will be assessed in dollars.