Thread: Former ICE agent faces up to 10 years in jail

Former ICE agent faces up to 10 years in jail

October 1, 2008 - 8:33PM
By Emma Perez-Trevino, The Brownsville Herald
A former news Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent faces up to 10 years in jail for stealing more than $10,000 from the government, federal court records show.

Juan Enrique Polanco, 38, pleaded guilty to a theft charge Wednesday before U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen in the U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas.

There is no plea agreement. Hanen will sentence Polanco on Jan. 13, 2009, following a pre-sentence investigation.

Polanco is free on a $25,000 unsecured bond.

In a written statement, U.S. Attorney Don DeGabrielle said Polanco admitted to submitting fraudulent vouchers between April 1 and June 29, 2007, associated with his assigned move from Eagle Pass to Raymondville.

"The fraudulently filed vouchers resulted in the government overpaying Polanco in excess of $10,000," DeGabrielle said.

Besides a prison sentence, Polanco also faces a possible fine of $250,000 for the Class C felony offense.

Records show Polanco was indicted July 14. Attorney Reynaldo G. Garza III represents him.

Public records also show the government's investigation lasted more than a year and produced hundreds of documents and evidence, including financial, banking, school, maintenance, payroll, personnel, insurance and travel records.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel C. Rodriguez is the prosecutor.

http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/p ... tence.html

He was over-reimbursed by $10,000 and no one realized it before they sent him the check?

How much is the government giving out for reimbursements on moving costs these days that the extra $10,000 seemed "normal" at the time to the person processing the vouchers?

Sounds like they have been watching him for over a year.

I don't agree with these types of cases and the waiting a year to do something about it. They could have busted him when it was still $1,000.

Maybe they are waiting and trying to find out if anyone else is involved but I don't think that takes a year.

Dixie

Dixie wrote:

Sounds like they have been watching him for over a year.

I don't agree with these types of cases and the waiting a year to do something about it.

Neither do I. Unfortunately the wheels of justice in this country seem to turn very slowly at times. It seems like justice is driving a V4 Toyota Corolla when it should be driving a V8 SUV. Of course with that said, I do understand the necessity of building an ironclad case, especially in a society with an overabundance of lawyers with questionable ethics and courts full of 'slap your wrist' judges.