San Angelo’s former Chief of Police has been convicted of accepting bribes, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham announced on Thursday.
A federal jury found former Police Chief Timothy Ray Vasquez guilty on one count of receipt of a bribe by an agent of an organization receiving federal funds. Vasquez was also convicted on three counts of honest services mail fraud.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Northern District of Texas, the evidence presented in court showed that Vasquez helped a radio system vendor land a $5.7 million contract with the City of San Angelo using his official position as police chief in April 2007.
The company and its affiliates, in return, directed at least $175,000 in funds to Vasquez and his band “Funky Munky.” They also gave him free access to a luxury condo in San Antonio as well as tickets for luxury suites at Dallas Cowboys and San Antonio Spurs games and a Journey concert.
Authorities say that the first payment to Vasquez came three months after Dailey & Wells was awarded the contract. Juniper Valley, L.P., an affiliate of Dailey & Wells, had issued Funky Munky band a $10,000 check. Vasquez reportedly deposited the check into his personal checking account.
After the first payment, other yearly payments were made to Vasquez or his band from Dailey & Wells and its affiliates.
In 2014 and 2015, Dailey & Wells proposed to update the City of San Angelo’s radio system. The City’s I.T. manager had told Vasquez that the proposal, which ran an estimated $6 million, would go through the bidding process. However, Vasquez said that the City would skip the bidding process and use Dailey & Wells.
The former police chief then went on to advocate for the company before the City Council on December 16, 2014 and June 2, 2015. The city council subsequently voted to award the contract to Dailey & Wells.
Six people who were council members at the time claimed they did not know of the business relationship between Dailey & Wells and Vasquez, who had a significant influence on the City Council. Five of the former city council members said that they would not have voted in favor of awarding the contract to the radio company had they known of its ties with Vasquez; two former council members said they would have disqualified Dailey & Wells from being a radio vendor to the City if they were aware.
Authorities said Vasquez violated the Texas Local Government Code by not disclosing his business relationship with Dailey & Wells to the City of San Angelo or the City Council. They also note he violated the San Angelo Purchasing Policy Manual and the City of San Angelo Employee Manual.
Vasquez is now detained and in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. He faces up to 70 years imprisonment.