Posted on 08/13/2026 9:43:19 PM PDT by Red Badger
Five current and former Refugio, Texas, city officials were arrested on Wednesday for fraud after they allegedly mishandled hundreds of thousands of dollars that spanned 19 transactions.
Refugio Mayor Wanda Dukes was charged with misapplication of fiduciary property, a first-degree felony, for misusing funds from the Refugio Economic Development Corporation between October 2023 and October 2025.
City Secretary Callie Shreckengost was also charged with misapplication of fiduciary property.
Current City Council Ixtlazihuatl Vasquez, former City Council Frank Hosey, and former City Council Michael Rocha were all hit with third-degree felony charges of abuse of official capacity.
According to the indictment, the state claimed that more than $1 million was misapplied to payments, audit services, garbage collection, and festivals.
KRIS TV reported:
Five current and former Refugio town officials face felony charges after a Refugio County grand jury returned indictments this week following a Texas Rangers investigation.
Mayor Wanda Huff Dukes and Town Secretary Callie Gray Shreckengost turned themselves in at the Refugio County Jail on Wednesday and were later released. Both are charged with misapplication of fiduciary property, a first-degree felony. Bond for each was set at $25,000.
The indictments accuse both officials of misusing funds from the Refugio Economic Development Corporation between Oct. 3, 2023, and Oct. 29, 2025. According to the charging documents, Dukes exercised control over EDC funds as mayor, while Shreckengost had authority to authorize and sign disbursements as town secretary.
The indictments list 19 transactions totaling more than $1 million that the state says were misapplied, including payments for windstorm insurance, garbage collection, water main maintenance, audit services, a police department holiday event and Fourth of July festivals.
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including payments for windstorm insurance, garbage collection, water main maintenance, audit services, a police department holiday event and Fourth of July festivals.
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audit services,
Is City Council member “Ixtlazihuatl Vasquez” a US citizen?
Sounds like they had a pretty good deal for themselves. Use the public money to pay off their private debt.
As a former resident of Texas City, TX, I bristle every time a headline mentions “Texas City” and it’s about somewhere else.
These all look like fine, upstanding DEMOCRATS to me. Deport them all!
How cool, they all have matching uniforms! I have never seen a group of city officials dress alike. It is like they are cops or something.
Must be close friends…they are all wearing the same outfit!
thanks RB.... this seems to be happening more than usual.
Idk how LE got on to them...but w/ FIVE criminals, someone was bound to be talking or leaving neon signs of malfeasance somewhere - to other city workers, to family, neighbors....
Texas has an influx of human trash now, especially muslims who are the enemy of everything this country was founded on. The only hope for this nation to survive is rooted in the 2nd Amendment. Our founders knew the day would come when we would be invaded. It’s just a matter of time!
Refugio Mayor Wanda Dukes of Hazard
HOORAY LE! F’n criminals. Lock up robbers and property destroyers. Make them pay back what they have stolen and pay for the property damaged.
Money, money, money…
The article wasn’t clear about that. I had a hard time understanding what the crimes were.
Why weren’t they charged with theft?
Unattractive group ya got there
Wow, what a crew.
I don't know about that, but her first name could produce a helluva Scrabble score!
Grift by public officials has been going on since Bible times and before.
BRAVE AI:
The Bible consistently condemns crooked public officials, defining their corruption as bribery, favoritism, exploitation of the vulnerable, and the abuse of power for personal gain. Scripture teaches that such leaders bring divine judgment and cause public suffering, as they pervert justice and fail their duty to protect the poor, widows, and orphans.
Biblical Condemnation and Consequences
Systemic Injustice: Verses like Micah 7:3 and Isaiah 1:23 describe leaders who conspire to demand bribes and ignore the causes of the fatherless and widow. Proverbs 29:2 states, “When the wicked rule, the people groan,” linking corrupt authority directly to societal decay.
Blind Justice: Deuteronomy 16:19 and Exodus 23:8 warn that bribes “blind the eyes of the wise” and twist the words of the innocent, destroying the integrity of the legal system.
Divine Retribution: Leaders are held accountable to God. Psalm 94:20 questions how wicked rulers can ally with God, promising that He will bring back their iniquity. Jeremiah 23:1-2 pronounces woe on “shepherds who destroy and scatter” God’s flock.
Biblical Examples of Corrupt Leadership
King Ahab and Jezebel: Notorious for orchestrating the murder of Naboth to seize his vineyard, exemplifying the use of state power for illicit property acquisition (1 Kings 21).
The Pharisees and Sadducees: Jesus condemned these religious authorities for hypocrisy, noting they “devour widows’ houses” while making lengthy prayers for show (Matthew 23, Mark 12).
King Saul: His reign deteriorated into paranoia and violence, leading to his rejection by God due to disobedience and unjust actions (1 Samuel 15).
The Biblical Standard for Leaders
The Bible establishes that government is intended to be God’s servant for good, rewarding right conduct and punishing wrong (Romans 13:1-4). However, this authority is conditional on righteousness. When officials fail, the Bible calls for discernment and justice, citing Acts 5:29 (”We must obey God rather than men”) to indicate that obedience to corrupt human laws is not absolute when they contradict divine moral law.
lol
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