Posted on 06/12/2005 8:20:30 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch
Villalobos looks into ‘red flags’ on bridge project
— A team of county and state investigators will delve into a spending report on the Port of Brownsville’s commercial bridge project that consumed $21.4 million in taxpayers’ money but never materialized.
The investigation, conducted by the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office and a Texas Ranger, will look into “red flags” that surfaced when authorities discovered the firm that headed the project set up contracts with stockholders and corporations it does business with.
District Attorney Armando Villalobos referred to the act as “self dealing,” and said the case will be brought before a county grand jury if there are criminal implications.
“This is a very sensitive case in Brownsville,” Villalobos said in a Wednesday interview. “We are looking at every single thing.”
Dannenbaum Engineering Corp., the firm hired by the Brownsville Navigation District to head the project, was paid $15.4 million from 1997 to 2004 but did not obtain Mexican consent for the bridge that would have linked the port to Matamoros.
A spending report compiled by BND’s special prosecutor Charles Willette shows that $9.2 million paid to Dannenbaum were not justified, $1.7 million paid to the firm in possible “success” fees are in question, and tentatively, the firm might have done about $4.5 million in engineering work, according to Brownsville Herald archives.
BND and Dannenbaum have each filed lawsuits against each other — Dannenbaum alleging breach of contract for $822,365 still owed; and BND countersuing to recoup the millions paid to the firm.
Meanwhile, attorneys for Dannenbaum have contacted the district attorney and want to meet to “present their case,” Villalobos said.
Investigators are still reviewing Willette’s report, and Texas Ranger Victor Escalon is taking statements from BND board members that served on the board when the rail/truck bridge project began, Villalobos said.
He said his team is trying to uncover anything that Willette might have missed and hopes to have the initial investigation completed within 60 days.
According to Herald archives, Dannenbaum collected about $11 million from BND between 2001 and 2004, and used some of that money to contract companies that the firm had ties with.
“If it’s done correctly and with full disclosure and the BND approved it, well that’s a different story, but if it’s done secretive and illegally, contrary to all the contracts and the law, well that’s something we need to look in to,” Villalobos said. “We are not quite sure yet where it stands at this point.”
BND Board Chairman Peter M. Zavaletta said he is aware of the investigation and welcomes the attention it has received from the Texas Rangers.
Zavaletta, who joined the board in 2004, said he has confidence in the report compiled by Willette and that “it will assist the authorities in their pursuit of crimes and the criminals who committed them. The people expect and should receive no less.”
Zavaletta hopes once the criminal and civil cases are completed that the BND can recoup the $21.4 million.
“I’m not going to put any limitations on what we are entitled to recover. … Frankly, I’ll be satisfied with nothing less,” Zavaletta said.
Villalobos said American businesses involved in the binational bridge project have been cooperative, but dealing with the Mexican businesses involved has been a challenge because Dannenbaum engineer Louis Jones created them.
With lax record keeping in Mexico, authorities have had to rely on the statements of individuals employed with the companies. If records were kept, they have to track them down, Villalobos said.
“We are not going to give up until we are truly satisfied” with our investigation, Villalobos said.
Willette’s report was also given to the FBI in January for review. FBI officials could not be reached for comment.
lmartinez@brownsvilleherald.com
Brownsville Bridge Ping!
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off this South Texas/Mexico ping list.
I live down here and e-mailed my State Senator about this several months ago when he was worried about vending machines being bad for school kids. I told him to do some real work and investigate these people. A few months ago a Judge in a county west of here committed suicide when the FBI raided his office and house. Just this week the Cameron County former Sheriff was arrested and charged with 13 separate charges including extortion, racketeering,drug peddling. Around here you better think twice about calling the Sheriff's department if you see some shady things going on at your neighbors house because the Sheriff would probably give your name to the drug dealers.
Well we know where we’re goin’
But we don’t know where we’ve been
And we know what we’re knowin’
But we can’t say what we’ve seen
And we’re not little children
And we know what we want
And the future is certain
Give us time to work it out
We’re on a road to nowhere
Come on inside
Takin’ that ride to nowhere
We’ll take that ride
I’m feelin’ okay this mornin’
And you know,
We’re on the road to paradise
Here we go, here we go
We’re on a road to nowhere
Come on inside
Takin’ that ride to nowhere
We’ll take that ride
Maybe you wonder where you are
I don’t care
Here is where time is on our side
Take you there...take you there
We’re on a road to nowhere
We’re on a road to nowhere
We’re on a road to nowhere
There’s a city in my mind
Come along and take that ride
And it’s all right, baby, it’s all right
And it’s very far away
But it’s growing day by day
And it’s all right, baby, it’s all right
They can tell you what to do
But they’ll make a fool of you
And it’s all right, baby, it’s all right
We’re on a road to nowhere
Good grief. How long have they kept this under wraps?
<< Good grief. How long have they kept this under wraps? >>
About as long as the Boston "Democrats" have kept the big dig's lying looting and thieving under wraps.
But not as long as Fed Pen and the rest of the Denver "Democrats" have kept DIA's lying looting and thieving under wraps.
Nor as long as long as the Clinton Crime Family and the rest of the Hot Springs', Little Rock and national "Democrats" have kept their Billions of Dollars of lying looting and thieving under wraps.
But then, some "Democrats" are better at keeping their organic, epidemic and systemic lying looting and thieving under wraps than are some other "Democrats."
<< I live down here and e-mailed my State Senator about this several months ago when he was worried about vending machines being bad for school kids. I told him to do some real work and investigate these people. A few months ago a Judge in a county west of here committed suicide when the FBI raided his office and house. Just this week the Cameron County former Sheriff was arrested and charged with 13 separate charges including extortion, racketeering,drug peddling. Around here you better think twice about calling the Sheriff's department if you see some shady things going on at your neighbors house because the Sheriff would probably give your name to the drug dealers. >>
Courtesy of the feral gummint and its abjectly-politicized keysone cops border agents and the criminal-alien invasion they sanction and enable, Central and South America's Third World criminal enterprizes are alive and well and live in the South Western United States.
And just about everywhere else about as far as I can see.
I don't recall ever voting on this, did any of you?
Posted last month. The voters knew about it last year.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1399588/posts
A lot of the money went to Mexico!
According to Herald archives, Dannenbaum collected about $11 million from BND between 2001 and 2004, and used some of that money to contract companies that the firm had ties with."
I'm not sure where the problem is. Doesn't every general contractor have sub-contractors that they deal with on a regular basis? I haven't yet seen a suggestion that the BND board or employees were part of these companies.
No doubt it was a fiasco, but how could a governmental entity start an international project without approval from athe other government. Looks like the BND is at fault here rather than their contractor.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.