Mexican officials are in legal trouble as they face federal fraud charges in Texas, accused of misusing Covid-related loans for personal investments in cryptocurrency. This involves several South Texas business owners and their spouses, alleged to have secured fraudulent loans intended for supporting struggling businesses during the pandemic.
Court records reveal that Bernando Gomez Jr., 46, and his wife Lesley Chavez, 42, received almost $200,000 from the paycheck protection program, which they allegedly directed towards personal expenditures like buying cryptocurrency. Gomez, a city council member for Rio Bravo in Tamaulipas and an advisor to local Mayor Miguel Angel Almaraz, resides in Edinburg, Texas.
As indicated in court documents, the couple runs various entertainment and service businesses, including wedding planning, rental services, and printing firms.
Federal prosecutors assert that they secured multiple government loans in May and June 2020, which were meant to help businesses navigate the challenges posed by Covid-19. These loans were supposedly justified with claims that the funds were deployed for legitimate activities, such as employee wages. However, after receiving loans of $150,000, $40,800, and $20,800, they diverted the money to different accounts for personal use, with Gomez allegedly using part of it for cryptocurrency purchases.
Following their arrest, Gomez and Chavez appeared before US Magistrate J. Scott Hacker and were released while awaiting their trial.
Gomez is affiliated with Mexico’s National Action Party (PAN), one of the major opposition parties, which finds itself at odds with Morena, the ruling party.
