A former Valentine Independent School District (ISD) employee has pleaded guilty to charges related to a scheme in which he misappropriated school district funds for personal expenses, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
Ernesto Villarreal Jr., 43, of Marfa, Texas, served as the Business Manager and Tax Collector and Assessor for Valentine ISD. Court records reveal that Villarreal used two ISD credit cards to make hundreds of unauthorized personal purchases, amassing thousands of dollars in fraudulent expenses.
In addition to using district credit cards for personal purchases, Villarreal issued over $10,000 in unauthorized checks to himself from Valentine ISD accounts. He also wrote more than $20,000 in checks from ISD accounts to cover personal credit card bills.
Villarreal further manipulated the school district’s financial systems by altering bank account information for current and former employees. This allowed him to generate over $100,000 in fraudulent payments for non-existent work, which he funneled into his own personal accounts without the knowledge or consent of the employees involved.
Over the course of his actions, Villarreal caused an estimated loss of more than $300,000 to Valentine ISD. The stolen funds were used for a variety of personal expenses, including travel, lodging, home improvements, cell phone bills, fuel, and other unauthorized purchases.
Villarreal is scheduled for sentencing on February 21, 2025. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for theft and up to 20 years for each wire fraud charge.
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