Former Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Trevino, Democrat, faces more time in prison now.
He pleaded guilty to accepting bribes from a Mexican drug lord. Today a judge has sentenced him to five years in prison for that crime. Trevino also must pay a $60,000 fine and will be supervised for two years after serving the five-year sentence.
Trevino’s rein at the Hidaldo County Sheriff’s Department has been one of extraordinary crime and corruption.
The Tatler first reported his activities ahead of any other media in the Border Conspiracy series in 2012. At that time, Sheriff Trevino was falsifying crime statistics that the Obama administration uses to portray the Texas-Mexico border as “secure.” Sheriff Trevino was systematically downgrading violent crimes including kidnapping and murder, to maintain his office, keep federal grants coming to the department, and to assist the administration’s border claims. Deputies also accuse Trevino of forcing them to support his political campaigns, in violation of the law, and that those who refused were fired. Lawsuits are still pending in several cases.
In April 2014, Trevino pleaded guilty to money laundering. His son Jonathan Trevino has also been sent to prison on corruption charges. The younger Trevino was part of the federally-funded Panama anti-narcotics unit. It instead engaged in home invasions and drug trafficking.
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