McALLEN, April 2 – Hidalgo County Precinct 1 Commissioner Sylvia Handy and three others have been indicted on six counts of harboring aliens for financial gain, U.S. Attorney Tim Johnson announced Thursday.
Three others were indicted with her, including her spouse, Juan Gabriel Espronceda.
Here are the details from the news release:
“A six-count indictment charging Hidalgo County Precinct One Commissioner Sylvia Sue Handy-Espronceda, 52; her spouse, Juan Gabriel Espronceda, 35; Maria De Los Angeles Landa de Hernandez, 27; and Eloisa Andrade Uriegas, 58, with harboring aliens for financial gain was unsealed today.
“The defendants are expected to make their initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Peter Ormsby at 3:00 p.m. today.
“Handy and Espronceda, residents of Weslaco, Texas, were arrested today without incident. Handy and her husband are accused of orchestrating the fraudulent employment by Hidalgo County of Mexican nationals unlawfully in the United States beginning in March 2005.
“The Indictment alleges that the primary object of the offenses was to have Hidalgo County monies pay for Handy and Espronceda’s child care and housekeeping provider, Handy’s servant services, and a $50,000 bill consolidation loan acquired by Handy.
“According to allegations in the indictment, Handy would select a Mexican national who was unlawfully in the United States to be “hired” at her precinct. Handy would then direct Precinct One employees to process a fraudulent job application with the Mexican national’s unlawfully assumed identity.
“Counts one and two allege that the fraudulent hiring was done with the purpose of having Hidalgo County monies pay for Handy and Espronceda’s child care provider/housekeeper who was an undocumented alien they were harboring in their home.
“Counts three and four allege that the fraudulent hiring was done so that an undocumented alien could be harbored and Hidalgo County monies could be used to pay for servant services and a bill consolidation loan Handy had acquired.
“Counts five and six allege the fraudulent hiring was done so that an undocumented alien could be harbored and Hidalgo County monies could be used to pay for Handy’s child care/housekeeping provider and Handy’s bill consolidation loan.
“As a result of Handy’s actions, according to the indictment, Hidalgo County paid in excess of $111,000 in fraudulently acquired salaries.
