Did Council Member Charlie San Miguel lie so that Uni-Trade owner Eduardo Garza's nephew, Gilberto Garza, could meet the minimum job requirements for a Webb County job? (download gilbertogarza.pdf to see the proof yourself.)
Background - Excerpt from The Laredo Morning Times
"WEBB COUNTY Facilities director hiring reviewed, minimum qualifications met" written by ANDREW KREIGHBAUM 08/15/2012
The next Webb County facilities director named to the job by commissioners Monday is a nephew of Uni-Trade Forwarding owner Eduardo Garza, a generous contributor to local political campaigns. County commissioners selected Gilberto Garza to fill the vacant director position at the facilities department after conducting interviews with him and two other candidates. Gilberto Garza said his relationship to his uncle had nothing to do with his selection. “Everything I did, I went through a process,” he said. “I submitted an application, I met the minimum qualifications, I responded based on my knowledge and my experience.” Garza said he is grateful to have the opportunity to lead the department and that his uncle was not involved in his hiring.
“He is one thing and I am another thing,” he said.
Since June 2010, Garza has worked as an administrative assistant at the City of Laredo finance department. Before that, he worked for six years as a site supervisor at Laredo Accurate Inspections Inc. [Laredo Accurate Inspections is Council Member San Miguel's company. Garza claimed to have worked for Junior Design & Construction LLC at 6419 McPherson Rd Suite E with Juan Ramirez, Jr. from June 2002 through May 2004.] Advertisements for the position included a requirement of five years as a facilities and maintenance director, of which two must have been in a supervisory capacity.
Commissioners passed on two other candidates, Javier Mendoza and Lourdes Paras-Jasso.
As operations manager and president of Mendoza Maintenance Group, Mendoza has handled maintenance contracts with entities including Dallas and Williamson counties. Paras-Jasso has worked as a facilities officer at Laredo Independent School District since 2004.
Eduardo Garza donated at least $5,000 to County Judge Danny Valdez during his last run for office. He donated $500 to Tijerina during the campaign for her court seat in 2006.
The connection between Gilberto Garza, Eduardo Garza and Council Member San Miguel
Council Member Charlie San Miguel is a director of Laredo Accurate Inspection, Inc. and he is believed to be the owner, although the President and Vice President is registered as Leonel San Miguel Sr. and Irma A. San Miguel respectively. Council Member San Miguel has lucrative contracts with Uni-trade owner Eduardo Garza or companies he owns. San Miguel has been performing contract work for Garza since before San Miguel took office. In addition, San Miguel and Garza are each listed as directors of the company Genco Field Services and Materials, Inc. registered to 130 Flecha Lane in Laredo. A letter of recommendation for Gilberto Garza from Laredo Accurate Inspections, Inc. was signed by Council Member Charlie San Miguel.
Did Gilberto Garza actually work from San Miguel's company Laredo Accurate Inspections, Inc. from 2004 to 2010 as alleged or did San Miguel agree to lie so that Gilberto Garza could appear to meet the minimum requirements?
The connection between Gilberto Garza, Eduardo Garza and Juan Ramirez.
Gilberto claimed to have worked for Juan Ramirez (Junior Design and Construction LLC) from June 2002 through May 2004. Interestingly, Juan Ramirez is a business associate of Eduardo Garza in a company EAG-JR Management L.C. (presumably Eduardo Arnoldo Garza - Juan Ramirez). This company is also registered to 130 Flecha Lane in Laredo, TX. Did Gilberto Garza actually work from Ramirez's company Junior Design and Construction from 2002 to 2014 as he alleges?
What's fishy?
According to Gilberto Garza's prior employment application with the City of Laredo, he worked 40 hours per week at DB Forwarding from 06/2004 though the date of the application on 08/12/2009. Before that, he worked for his uncle's company at Uni-Trade Forwarding for 40 hours per week from 5/2003 through 5/2005. Nowhere on his application did he list any jobs or responsibilities that would have qualified him for the Webb County facilities director position. No mention of Laredo Accurate Inspections Inc. and no mention of Junior Design and Construction LLC. It just doesn't pass the smell test.
Council Member San Miguel, Clear your name!
Dear Council Member San Miguel: This looks like you lied and got caught. But perhaps you are being truthful and Gilberto Garza did work for you. If so, the burden is on you to clear your name. Show us proof. Lets see your corporate tax filings, quarterly employer tax filings, W2s, 1099s etc. All of these documents should support the wages paid by Laredo Accurate Inspections, Inc. to Gilberto Garza. The clock is ticking. Should we ask the IRS to look into this? After all, if he worked for you six years your records better reflect that you paid him and your share of employer's taxes on his behalf.
It looks like Gilberto Garza lied on his application to Webb County, although it is possible that he lied on his application to the City of Laredo and his application to the county is truthful. One thing appears certain - since each application lists different employers for the same period of time, one application must be a lie.
What should happen to Gilberto Garza?
If he lied, he should resign or he should be terminated. If he didn't lie he should provide the county with overwhelming evidence of his qualifications and proof of his employment history. By proof we mean income tax filings for the last 5 years.
Webb County must investigate this completely. In his Webb County employment application, Gilberto Garza signed and agreed to the following statement "I certify that answers given herein are true and complete to the best of m[]y knowledge. I authorize investigation of all statements contained in this application for employment as may be necessary in arriving at an employment decision..." VIDA demands that Webb County request transcripts of Gilberto Garza's tax returns from the IRS. We'll get you started, download the form here. If there is no income from San Miguel he does not meet the job requirements. Even if the Webb County application was not a lie, it was not complete and he would have falsely certified that it was complete.
Its is also interesting that Gilberto Garza's pay jumped from $12.75 per hour to $17.55 per hour "per the HR director" immediately upon getting hired at the City of Laredo. Also note that Gilberto Garza worked for the City of Laredo Purchasing Department where he would have had access to information relating to bids. He may have even worked on the scoring criteria for bids. His uncle, Eduardo Garza won several bids for city contracts. Makes you wonder doesn't it?
We invite the residents of Laredo to be the judge. Review the evidence for yourself and come to your own conclusions.
"WEBB COUNTY Facilities director hiring reviewed, minimum qualifications met" written by ANDREW KREIGHBAUM 08/15/2012
The next Webb County facilities director named to the job by commissioners Monday is a nephew of Uni-Trade Forwarding owner Eduardo Garza, a generous contributor to local political campaigns. County commissioners selected Gilberto Garza to fill the vacant director position at the facilities department after conducting interviews with him and two other candidates. Gilberto Garza said his relationship to his uncle had nothing to do with his selection. “Everything I did, I went through a process,” he said. “I submitted an application, I met the minimum qualifications, I responded based on my knowledge and my experience.” Garza said he is grateful to have the opportunity to lead the department and that his uncle was not involved in his hiring.
“He is one thing and I am another thing,” he said.
Since June 2010, Garza has worked as an administrative assistant at the City of Laredo finance department. Before that, he worked for six years as a site supervisor at Laredo Accurate Inspections Inc. [Laredo Accurate Inspections is Council Member San Miguel's company. Garza claimed to have worked for Junior Design & Construction LLC at 6419 McPherson Rd Suite E with Juan Ramirez, Jr. from June 2002 through May 2004.] Advertisements for the position included a requirement of five years as a facilities and maintenance director, of which two must have been in a supervisory capacity.
Commissioners passed on two other candidates, Javier Mendoza and Lourdes Paras-Jasso.
As operations manager and president of Mendoza Maintenance Group, Mendoza has handled maintenance contracts with entities including Dallas and Williamson counties. Paras-Jasso has worked as a facilities officer at Laredo Independent School District since 2004.
Eduardo Garza donated at least $5,000 to County Judge Danny Valdez during his last run for office. He donated $500 to Tijerina during the campaign for her court seat in 2006.
The connection between Gilberto Garza, Eduardo Garza and Council Member San Miguel
Council Member Charlie San Miguel is a director of Laredo Accurate Inspection, Inc. and he is believed to be the owner, although the President and Vice President is registered as Leonel San Miguel Sr. and Irma A. San Miguel respectively. Council Member San Miguel has lucrative contracts with Uni-trade owner Eduardo Garza or companies he owns. San Miguel has been performing contract work for Garza since before San Miguel took office. In addition, San Miguel and Garza are each listed as directors of the company Genco Field Services and Materials, Inc. registered to 130 Flecha Lane in Laredo. A letter of recommendation for Gilberto Garza from Laredo Accurate Inspections, Inc. was signed by Council Member Charlie San Miguel.
Did Gilberto Garza actually work from San Miguel's company Laredo Accurate Inspections, Inc. from 2004 to 2010 as alleged or did San Miguel agree to lie so that Gilberto Garza could appear to meet the minimum requirements?
The connection between Gilberto Garza, Eduardo Garza and Juan Ramirez.
Gilberto claimed to have worked for Juan Ramirez (Junior Design and Construction LLC) from June 2002 through May 2004. Interestingly, Juan Ramirez is a business associate of Eduardo Garza in a company EAG-JR Management L.C. (presumably Eduardo Arnoldo Garza - Juan Ramirez). This company is also registered to 130 Flecha Lane in Laredo, TX. Did Gilberto Garza actually work from Ramirez's company Junior Design and Construction from 2002 to 2014 as he alleges?
What's fishy?
According to Gilberto Garza's prior employment application with the City of Laredo, he worked 40 hours per week at DB Forwarding from 06/2004 though the date of the application on 08/12/2009. Before that, he worked for his uncle's company at Uni-Trade Forwarding for 40 hours per week from 5/2003 through 5/2005. Nowhere on his application did he list any jobs or responsibilities that would have qualified him for the Webb County facilities director position. No mention of Laredo Accurate Inspections Inc. and no mention of Junior Design and Construction LLC. It just doesn't pass the smell test.
Council Member San Miguel, Clear your name!
Dear Council Member San Miguel: This looks like you lied and got caught. But perhaps you are being truthful and Gilberto Garza did work for you. If so, the burden is on you to clear your name. Show us proof. Lets see your corporate tax filings, quarterly employer tax filings, W2s, 1099s etc. All of these documents should support the wages paid by Laredo Accurate Inspections, Inc. to Gilberto Garza. The clock is ticking. Should we ask the IRS to look into this? After all, if he worked for you six years your records better reflect that you paid him and your share of employer's taxes on his behalf.
It looks like Gilberto Garza lied on his application to Webb County, although it is possible that he lied on his application to the City of Laredo and his application to the county is truthful. One thing appears certain - since each application lists different employers for the same period of time, one application must be a lie.
What should happen to Gilberto Garza?
If he lied, he should resign or he should be terminated. If he didn't lie he should provide the county with overwhelming evidence of his qualifications and proof of his employment history. By proof we mean income tax filings for the last 5 years.
Webb County must investigate this completely. In his Webb County employment application, Gilberto Garza signed and agreed to the following statement "I certify that answers given herein are true and complete to the best of m[]y knowledge. I authorize investigation of all statements contained in this application for employment as may be necessary in arriving at an employment decision..." VIDA demands that Webb County request transcripts of Gilberto Garza's tax returns from the IRS. We'll get you started, download the form here. If there is no income from San Miguel he does not meet the job requirements. Even if the Webb County application was not a lie, it was not complete and he would have falsely certified that it was complete.
Its is also interesting that Gilberto Garza's pay jumped from $12.75 per hour to $17.55 per hour "per the HR director" immediately upon getting hired at the City of Laredo. Also note that Gilberto Garza worked for the City of Laredo Purchasing Department where he would have had access to information relating to bids. He may have even worked on the scoring criteria for bids. His uncle, Eduardo Garza won several bids for city contracts. Makes you wonder doesn't it?
We invite the residents of Laredo to be the judge. Review the evidence for yourself and come to your own conclusions.
gilbertogarza.pdf | |
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laredo_accurate_inspections_inc.pdf | |
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eag-jr_management_lc_-_officers_and_directors.pdf | |
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