Restitution set at $1.8 million in Zapata Case

SAN ANGELO, TX – Visiting State District Judge Brock Jones set restitution in the Ray Zapata case at $1.8 million during a restitution hearing at the Tom Green County Courthouse Thursday, but it's unclear how much of that Zapata will be required to pay.   

Zapata was found guilty in May on four counts of forgery and theft and sentenced to six months in jail.  He is appealing the conviction. 

Judge Jones heard evidence from Shane Attaway with the Texas Attorney General’s office.  Attaway was the prosecuting attorney in Zapata’s trial.  Attaway called to the stand the Temporary Administrator of John Sullivan’s estate Michael Deadman.  Deadman was appointed temporary administrator of the Sullivan estate in January 2015. 

Deadman testified that his investigation found the gross value of Sullivan’s estate on the date of his death to be $8,168,284.  After paying debts of $1,548,760, the net value of the estate on the date of Sullivan’s death was $6,619,524. 

Deadman said he was able to collect $4,903,633.54 from John Young. Young is currently awaiting trial for his part in the case. The difference between the net value of the estate and what Deadman was able to recover from Young is $1,715,890.46. 

Attaway told the court that restitution was to “restore, punish and deter.”  Zapata’s attorney Mark Snodgrass asked the judge to set restitution at zero because Zapata didn’t receive any money from the estate.  Attaway asked Judge Jones for $1.8 to $1.9 million in restitution because that’s what was not recovered from for the estate. 

Jones set total restitution to the Sullivan estate at $1.8 million.  It is unclear how much of that Zapata will be required to pay.  Both the defense and prosecution agreed that Zapata’s restitution will depend on how much John Young is ordered to pay at the conclusion of his trial. Young's trial is slated to begin in October.