Former Elsa police officer sentenced to prison

McALLEN — A federal judge has sentenced a former Elsa police officer to seven years and three months in prison for extortion, authorities announced this week.

Herman Carr, 46, of Donna, pleaded guilty in November 2006 to accepting $5,000 to protect a car carrying about 11 pounds of cocaine on Aug. 1 of that year. FBI agents nabbed him during a sting operation, according to a federal court complaint.

A witness working with the FBI paid Carr some of the money at Rudy's “Country Store” and Bar-B-Q at the intersection of Highway 281 and Nolana in Pharr, the complaint shows. Agents arrested Carr there and found $3,000 in cash on him and another $2,000 in an unmarked car used by the Elsa Police Department.

The witness gave Carr $2,000 to protect the carload of drugs as it moved through Elsa, the court documents show. Carr received $3,000 more after the drugs safely passed through Elsa.

U.S. District Judge Ricardo Hinojosa sentenced Carr on Wednesday to 87 months in federal prison without parole and two years of probation upon his release.

In May, federal authorities sentenced another former Elsa police officer to eight years in prison for similar charges. Ismael Gomez, 27, pleaded guilty in December 2006 to taking $2,500 in April of that year to escort about 20 pounds of cocaine through Elsa. At the time of his sentencing, federal authorities said the two cases were not related.

Elsa’s police department has had considerable turnover since the men’s arrests; however, none of its officers has faced drug-related charges this year.

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Zack Quaintance covers law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4447.