SAN ANGELO, TX – On Wednesday morning, Marcus McVae, 31, charged with engaging in organized criminal activity, appeared in court for his final pre-trial hearing before going forward with his jury trial. McVae is accused of robbing the David Rogers Construction Company on March 19, 2016.
McVae’s co-defendant, Elizabeth Estrada, 24, was also in court Wednesday. Estrada was charged with the offense after she picked-up co-defendant Omar Salas, 32, in Acuna, Mexico and drove him over the U. S.-Mexico border to assist with transporting four stolen trucks from the heist. McVae's is a re-trial following a hung jury at his April trial.
Estrada, along with passenger, Nayara Rodriguez, 24, drove Salas to a meeting with Alfredo Zuniga and Judge Modesto in a Del Rio hotel. Zuniga had called Salas prior to this meeting and asked him to help transport four stolen trucks over the border to Mexico, the indictment reads. Salas agreed to transport one, as crossing all four vehicles would be suspicious.
Salas was charged with engaging in organized criminal activity after attempting to take one of the trucks to Mexico via the Del Rio point of entry on March 20, 2016. He was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection for Theft over $20,000.
Investigators charged Estrada after observing video footage of her driving with Salas and Rodriguez across the U.S. - Mexico border on March 19, 2016. Another video snippet showed Estrada and Rodriguez crossing the Del Rio port of entry again after Salas was arrested.
On Wednesday, Judge Woodward presided over both McVae’s and Estrada’s pre-trials. He spoke to McVae’s court-appointed attorney Shawntell McKillop and Assistant District Attorney Jason Ferguson regarding the upcoming jury trial.
McKillopp requested a motion for continuance in the trial until a warrant could be issued for Salas' arrest for his motion to revoke probation.
Salas pled guilty to his involvement in the heist on April 19, 2017, and was issued eight years’ probation. McKillop said the Court recently received paperwork showing that Salas may have fled to Mexico, which would be a violation of his probation.
Judge Woodward will discuss the motion with presiding Judge Jay Weatherby before moving forward on the motion. McVae's jury trial is still scheduled for July 24.
In addition, Estrada’s court appointed attorney Brian Raymond discussed her taking a plea of guilty. Estrada’s plea-hearing is scheduled for Thursday at 2 p.m. in 391st Judicial District Judge Brad Goodwin's Court.
Also in court today, Oscar Guzman, 50, charged with Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child and for Indecency with a Child Sexual Contact. He was indicted by a Tom Green County grand jury for the charges in July of 2015. He was arrested for the two outstanding warrants in December of 2016 with a bond of $100,000.
According to the indictment, for the first charge, Guzman, on or about Sept. 15, 2004, “did then and there intentionally and knowingly” assaulted a female child younger than 14 years of age through sexual contact. The Aggravated Sexual Assault Child charge is a First Degree Felony.
As for the second charge, on or about Feb. 28, 2004, Guzman engaged in sexual contact with the same victim. The second charge is a Second Degree Felony.
During the reading of his indictment before Judge Woodward, Guzman was seen shaking his head in disagreement to both charges. He pled “not guilty” to both counts in the indictment.
Guzman’s attorney Rae Leifeste told Judge Woodward that they will proceed with the scheduled Jury Trial on July 24.
UPDATE: Thursday, July 20 @ 3:00 p.m.
On Thursday afternoon, Estrada pled guilty to the charge of engaging in organized criminal activity, a First Degree Felony. Judge Brad Goodwin accepted the State's recommended punishment and issued Estrada three years probation.
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