Sentencing of Former Wall Co-Op Gin Manager Rescheduled to August 29

SAN ANGELO, TX — The sentencing of Mina Abbott, former general manager of the Wall Co-Op Gin who pleaded guilty to Unauthorized Transaction with an Access Device, a federal felony, has been rescheduled to August 29. The delay was ordered by U.S. Attorney Jeffery S. Haag via an ex parte motion.

Abbott pleaded guilty to stealing $1,000 using a debit card. However, a factual resume in the case revealed that FBI investigators determined her embezzlement efforts cost the Wall Co-Op Gin $1,970,315.46. This total includes checks written from the Co-Op’s bank account to herself or to "cash," along with an additional $176,569.73 in unauthorized personal charges on the Gin’s debit cards between May 1, 2022, and April 30, 2023, bringing the total to $2,146,885.19.

In addition to the $2.1 million, Abbott admitted to federal investigators that she used the Gin’s debit card to spend more than $1,000 on two vacations: one trip to Tennessee and Kentucky in 2022 and another to Massachusetts in 2023.

According to court documents, Abbott was forthcoming about her actions. She emailed the Gin’s auditor, stating that she did not attempt to hide any of the embezzlement and that an inspection of her work area would reveal everything she had taken.

"I've gone around telling everyone I talk to the truth. My attorney is going to kill me. But when you are forced to stay silent for years, it's really hard not to talk. I'm not in any way defending my actions. I'm an adult, and I made a choice, and I'll pay for that choice," she wrote in an email to the auditor.

Of all the money Abbott admitted to taking, only $69,105.06 remained in her bank account. This amount was seized by the Tom Green County District Attorney, and she agreed to return it as part of her restitution to the Gin.

Abbott was arrested on March 29, 2024, after a lengthy investigation that included open admissions by Abbott of how and when the money was stolen, according to court documents. She has been free on a personal recognizance bond since her arraignment on April 2.

Federal Judge James Wesley Hendrix initially scheduled Abbott’s sentencing hearing for July 25. However, on June 4, Judge Hendrix granted a sealed ex parte motion to reset the sentencing hearing to August 29, 2024, at 1:30 p.m. at the federal courthouse in San Angelo. The original sentencing location has been set to occur in Lubbock. Abbott faced 15 years in prison and three years of supervised release. In a plea deal made in March, the U.S. Attorney agreed to a maximum prison sentence of 60 months. Her sentence can also include up to a $250,000 fine.

Judge Hendrix previously presided over the trial of former San Angelo Police Chief Tim Vasquez for bribery. He sentenced Vasquez to 15.5 years in the federal prison system.