Ernesto Villarreal Jr., 43, of Marfa, has pleaded guilty to charges related to his scheme to misappropriate funds from the Valentine Independent School District (ISD) for personal expenses.
Villarreal, who served as the Business Manager, Tax Collector, and Assessor for Valentine ISD, used district credit cards to make unauthorized personal purchases totaling thousands of dollars. He also issued over $10,000 in checks to himself from the school district accounts and paid more than $20,000 in personal credit card bills using Valentine ISD funds. Additionally, Villarreal manipulated bank account information for current and former employees, generating over $100,000 in fraudulent payments for work that was never performed, which he deposited into his own accounts.
The funds were used for various personal expenses, including travel, lodging, home improvements, and cell phone bills, resulting in a total loss of over $300,000 to Valentine ISD.
Villarreal pleaded guilty to one count of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds and eight counts of wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on February 21, 2025, and faces up to 10 years in prison for the theft count and up to 20 years for each wire fraud count. The case is being investigated by the FBI, Texas Rangers, and the Department of Education Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Fedock and Scott Greenbaum are prosecuting the case.
