LUBBOCK, TX — At approximately 2:15 p.m., the jury announced they had reached a verdict in the trial of Timothy Ray Vasquez. The jury had deliberated for about 6.5 hours since Wednesday afternoon at the George Mahan Federal Building in Lubbock, Texas.
Details the verdict were revealed at trial in Lubbock at 2:30 p.m.. The jury foreman said the verdict was unanimous on all counts.
- Count 1: Receipt of a bribe: Guilty
- Count 2: Honest Services Mail Fraud: Guilty
- Count 3: Honest Services Mail Fraud: Guilty
- Count 4: Honest Services Mail Fraud: Guilty
The next step is the judge will issue a scheduling order for the punishment phase.
U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Haag said he had concerns based on secret information he has learned that cannot be revealed in open court that Vasquez was a flight risk. The judge heard arguments secretly in his chambers for and against allowing Vasquez to remain free on bond until his sentencing hearing date.
The punishment for the first charge, bribery, is 20 years maximum and 10 years maximum for each of the Honest Mail Fraud convictions. Judge Hendrix said the length of time Vasquez will serve in prison will be significant and is a factor in his decision to immediately place Vasquez into jail.
After about an hour in a sealed session held in federal district Judge James Wesley Hendrix's chambers, the trial reconvened in open session. Judge Hendrix said the burden of proof that Vasquez was not a flight risk rested on the defense. He said after hearing arguments from both sides, including classified information given him by U.S. Attorney Jeffry Haag concerning a flight risk, Judge Hendrix ruled that the defense did not convince him that Vasquez should be free on bond awaiting sentencing.
"The U.S. Marshals can now take the defendant into custody," Judge Hendrix ruled. Vasquez was already handcuffed in the courtroom and after brief goodbyes with family and friends he was led away to jail.
Defense attorney David Guinn said he was "shocked" at the judge's ruling.
From earlier Thursday:
At around 10:30 a.m., the jury sent a note to the judge asking for transcripts during the testimony of defendant Tim Vasquez. The two topics the jury was interested in were the part where Vasquez said the 2007 City of San Angelo radio vendor selection committee recommended Motorola. Vasquez testified that he believed then-City Manager Harold Dominquez overruled the selection committee’s recommendation and placed a Harris radio deal — and Dailey and Wells as the selected vendor — on the city council agenda.
The second portion of the court transcript the jury requested was when Vasquez told the jury about the Spurs basketball games where Vasquez and sometimes an assistant chief of police attended games seated inside the Dailey and Wells suite at the San Antonio AT&T Center. Vasquez also testified he was a guest in Harris Radio’s suites at a couple Dallas Cowboys games.
Lunch was delivered just after 11 a.m. to the jury.
Tim Vasquez, the former chief of the San Angelo Police Department, faces charges of one count of Receipt of a Bribe by an Agent of an Organization Receiving Federal Funds and three counts of Honest Services Mail Fraud. The allegations stem from a 13-year off-the-clock business relationship Vasquez had with the City of San Angelo’s public safety radio vendor since 2007. The prosecution argued that that vendor, San Antonio-based Dailey and Wells, bribed Vasquez over the years by overpaying Vasquez for his band’s gigs for the company parties. In return, Vasquez was an advocate for Dailey and Wells products that were purchased by the City of San Angelo. Vasquez served as the San Angelo police chief from 2004 until he was defeated in July 2016 by current Chief of Police Frank Carter.
BREAKING: Tim Vasquez Found Guilty
Former San Angelo Police Chief Tim Vasquez served from 2004 until 2016 when he was defeated for re-election.
On May 27, 2016, then-Police Chief Tim Vasquez addressed the media about a controversy surrounding a leadership survey produced by CLEAT and SACOP.
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Comments
This is total BS….secret info that he is a flight risk? Now that says that SHITTY people are clearly against him…when has he ran even before this trial began????
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PermalinkThere's a HUGE difference between being accused and convicted. He has the means, why wouldn't he flee at this point?
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PermalinkI remember Dan Hurley. He tells lies. Vasquez picked the wrong guy to defend him.
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PermalinkThis is total BS….secret info that he is a flight risk? Now that says that SHITTY people are clearly against him…when has he ran even before this trial began????
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PermalinkA reserved seat for dinner wearing a black & white striped jail suit tonight and for the next 25 years......
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PermalinkLets see if the Federal Government now investigates Dailey-Wells for passing out payola.
It is also against Federal law for a person (or entity) to GIVE payola to someone in an Official Governmental Capacity, in addition to being against Federal law for a person in those capacities to accept Payola - like the jurors found in this case.
If the Federal Government investigates Dailey-Wells past records, they may find that payola was also given in the past to several employees of other cities or counties that purchased radio equipment from the same company.
No matter whether it was money paid (or seats in a stadium that were provided) to governmental officials which was paid (or provided) by Daily-Wells, it is the same - an attempt to buy votes.
An examination of Dailey-Wells books by the Federal Government is in order.
A good example is: https://www.expressnews.com/news/news_columnists/gilbert_garcia/article/Scandal-rocks-San-Antonio-firm-reinforces-the-14999893.php
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PermalinkWill they appeal?
Seems that bribery is a two party gig.
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PermalinkI would imagine there is an 18wheeler mobile document shredder and dumpster fire at Dailey & Wells tonight.
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PermalinkHow ironic, 2 public servants in San Angelo - one, a previously convicted felon conducting an interview about two, a newly convicted felon. Throw in the convicted felon wife of a former County Judge and it makes you wonder what the hell is going on in that town?
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PermalinkHow ironic, you have a media outlet that employees a previously convicted felon who was a public servant conducting an interview about a newly convicted felon who was a public servant. Before that you had the wife of a former county judge who is a convicted felon. What is going on down there in San Angelo?
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PermalinkCould all this be race motivated?? We all know how racist good old San Angelo can be… What Tim Vasquez did was obviously wrong, but worse cases of bribery, fraud and money laundering are known and are NOT investigated or prosecuted. The only difference I see is that his skin is brown.
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PermalinkI wonder if he had been white if he would have come out free-- I didn't realize he was a counselor for the city along with a police chief-- it said he counseled the city on what to do-- I didn't know they needed counseling-- next time they need a better counselor
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PermalinkCitizens never complained when he was elected and serving as chief of police. Law enforcement is like any other job. Once you are doing good and saving the employer money, then it's time for another employee to challenge you and take your job. Why didn't they bring out on testimonials all the good he did back then. It probably wouldn't of looked good against him now. What about when he was in the investigation and arrested back in 09 those with the Mexican Mafia. No one complained about him then, I've seen a few cases in law enforcement and justice that have not been justified how the law should really be if it's the law. You can get many year's for doing right and get a few years for killing someone. I'm no one to judge, but I'm sure our Lord will judge us all the correct way. What about the one's that okayed the purchase, are they not responsible now as they were back then. I'm sure there's more than one to be responsible. If it would of been a a big bonus coming to him, I'm sure there would of been others wanting part of it. I never had any problems with him or any of his officers back then or now. But in law enforcement investigation, the investigator is in charge of how to set everything up before anyone's trail. I've never seen one any heard of any one working with the investigator so the investigation can be a true statement. It's all about the hear say and how you can Brian wash other's. At the end we are no one in Earth not even a badge can save us. God bless everyone ?
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PermalinkPeople complained ALL the time when he was Police Chief, most of them being the officers that had to work for him because they knew the shady stuff he was doing. The problem back then was that he had the news outlets in his pocket.
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PermalinkHe didn't get elected for more than one term for nothing...so he couldn't have been that bad. I believe he's being treated very unfairly
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