Pubdate: Fri, 10 Jun 2005 Source: Brownsville Herald, The (TX) Copyright: 2005 The Brownsville Herald Contact: http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/contact.php Website: http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1402 Author: Sergio Chapa FORMER SHERIFF FACES DRUG TRAFFICKING, OTHER CHARGES Former Sheriff Conrado Cantu faces drug trafficking, money laundering, extortion and other charges listed in a federal indictment unsealed Thursday. Cantu and four others, including a former captain and a former jail vendor, are accused of using the Cameron County sheriff's office to protect drug traffickers in exchange for payments. Court records show the former sheriff acted as the leader of a three-man ring that allegedly extorted and accepted bribes totaling nearly $50,000 from suspected drug traffickers, money launderers and undercover sources. A 10-count, 45-page federal indictment unsealed Thursday lists more than a dozen examples of Cantu and the others abusing his office to protect smugglers, money launderers, illegal video gamblers and political supporters. The indictment shows that Cantu faces numerous charges of racketeering, extortion, money laundering, obstructing justice and conspiracy to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine. Cantu also allegedly covered up a kidnapping charge for an undisclosed political supporter. Federal authorities arrested the former sheriff in a Wednesday-morning traffic stop near his home outside Olmito. Cantu's former captain Rumaldo Rodriguez is facing racketeering and extortion charges. Armed agents arrested him at his place of work as a deputy constable in Port Isabel at 11 a.m. Wednesday. Former jail commissary vendor Geronimo "Jerry" Garcia faces racketeering, extortion, money laundering and conspiracy charges. According to the indictment, Brownsville plumber Reynaldo Uribe is accused of transporting laundered money. Both Uribe and Garcia were arrested Wednesday in a raid at Garcia's Brownsville home. Federal officials also arrested Brownsville business owner Hector Solis on Thursday morning at his restaurant, Pepe's Tacos To Go, 3850 Paredes Line Road. Solis allegedly ran an illegal video gambling casino and faces an obstruction of justice charge. A federal investigation shows that Cantu agreed to tip off Solis about county task force raids against his casino and on one occasion told deputies not to raid it. Solis is expected to appear in federal court today. Cantu, Rodriguez, Garcia and Uribe appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Felix Recio Thursday morning. At the prosecution's request, Recio ordered that Cantu, Rodriguez, Garcia and Uribe be held in federal custody without bond until a Monday afternoon hearing. U.S. Marshals spokesman Gene Diaz said the men are expected to be held at a federal detention center in Willacy County but would be kept isolated from the prison's general population for their protection. It was not clear Thursday if Cantu and the others would be kept separate from each other, but defense attorneys said they could be freed on bond after the Monday afternoon hearing. Cantu's attorney Alberto Pullen said Cantu plans to plead innocent to the charges. "These are charges we can fight," Pullen said Thursday outside the courthouse. "Based on what my client has told me, he believes that he is innocent." Pullen replaces Cantu's long-time attorney Ernesto Gamez who reportedly had a conflict of interest in the case. Neither attorney would elaborate on that conflict. Pullen said Cantu was demoralized by the arrest and the charges, but remained determined to fight. "He thinks that this is a witch hunt and that there's just not enough evidence there to convict him of all the charges that have been made," Pullen said. "Until I see different, we won't even consider entering a (guilty) plea at this time." Prosecutors said the case had been under investigation for years by nine local and federal law enforcement agencies. "The people of the Rio Grande Valley have the right to expect that their law enforcement officials will themselves abide by the laws that they have sworn to uphold," U.S. Attorney Michael Shelby wrote in a prepared statement issued Thursday. "This case stands as proof of our continuing efforts to hold accountable those who misuse their position and abuse the public's trust for personal gain." Although the investigation originated in Brownsville, court records show that Cantu and the others were indicted by a grand jury in Houston Monday. "The law provides that any case can be presented at any grand jury in the Southern District of Texas," said U.S. Attorney spokeswoman Nancy Herrera. Chief Deputy Gus Reyna said agents searching Cantu's home on Wednesday found a small amount of marijuana as well as Sheriff's Department property, including a uniform, portable radio and a shotgun. The items were supposed to be returned to the county when Cantu left office Jan. 1, Reyna said. Reyna said his agency forwarded a possession of marijuana case to the district attorney's office for review. - --- MAP posted-by: SHeath(DPFFlorida)