Indictments filed in Starr County election fraud scheme

At least four Starr and Hidalgo county political operatives have been indicted for voter fraud in what the state attorney general’s office says was a large-scale effort to submit mail-in ballots for imaginary people in the March 2006 Democratic primary election.

According to a press release from the attorney general’s office, a grand jury in Brooks County indicted the men and women last week on charges related to the scheme, which allegedly involved registering voters to vacant lots in Starr County and having mail-in ballots under the names sent to several Hidalgo County addresses.

Attorney general investigators stepped in soon after the 2006 primary, drawn by complaints from both sides that there was something fishy about the mail-in votes for county treasurer and district clerk. Information turned over by county elections administrator Rudy Montalvo appeared to show irregularities, including a number of Hidalgo County homes that received an unusual number of mail-in ballots.

The people indicted were Jose Rene Gomez, 33 — who is charged with voting twice in the election, a third-degree felony — Oralia Frausto, 49, Oscar Rios, 37, Dolores Gutierrez, 58, and Maria Gonzalez.

Investigators suspect Gutierrez and Gonzalez are the same woman but nonetheless secured indictments against both names.

All but one of the combined 57 counts against the group are for possession of an official ballot without permission of the voter, a state felony.

Only Rios, an Hidalgo County resident, had been arrested by Friday afternoon, said Tom Kelley, a spokesman for the attorney general’s office.

Representatives on both sides of the county treasurer and district clerk races said they knew little or nothing of those indicted when read the names Friday.

Dave “Chachi” Jones and David Porras, who ran together and lost, each said they did not recognize any of the names.

Patricio Hernandez, the campaign treasurer for victorious candidates Jaime Maldonado and Eloy Garcia, said Frausto and Gonzalez may have been members of the Jones camp, although he was not sure.

No court date has been set in the case, since all those indicted must be located, arrested and brought before a judge to be charged, Kelley said.

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Sara Perkins covers Starr County and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach her at (956) 683-4472.