A San Antonio-space man has pleaded responsible to accepting $432,000 in unearned payroll funds as An factor of a rip-off in the direction of trucking agency Texas Chrome Transport Inc.
Mario Martinez, 49, is the sixth particular person to plead responsible Inside the scheme that diverted Greater than $1.4 million from Atascosa, Texas-based mostly Texas Chrome Transport and a associated agency, MJR Truck Strains Inc. Atascosa is located 22 miles south of San Antonio.
Texas Chrome Transport has 208 drivers and 208 power models, Based on the Federal Motor Service Safety Administration. The agency, based in 1975, hauls frac sand To grease websites throughout the state.
The rip-off was allegedly started in 2017 by Martinez’s girlfriend, Veronica Rios, who stays the lone defendant, paperwork said.
Rios, 42, was an administrative assistant and payroll administrator at Texas Chrome Transport. In 2017, authorities say, she started overpaying agency staff in commerce for A pair of of the overpayment.
Rios additionally allegedly added nonstaff to the payroll who gave her An factor of the funds they acquired. Amongst these was Martinez, who by no means labored for both Texas Chrome Transport or MJR Truck Strains.
Prosecutors say that from 2017 by way of 2020, Rios overpaid agency worker Pedro Guillen Greater than $424,000 and worker Tommy Byrum Greater than $140,000. Rios additionally paid her daughter-in-regulation, Amanda Hernandez, Greater than $30,000 after Hernandez left Texas Chrome Transport in 2019.
Prosecutors additionally allege Rios paid Maira Vargas $30,000 in payroll funds and Guadalupe Alsidez $200,000. Nboth ever labored for both of The corporations.
Rios, Martinez, Alsidez, Guillen, Hernandez and Vargas have been arrested in April 2021. It’s not clear when Byrum was arrested.
Collectively with Martinez, Guillen, Byrum, Hernandez, Vargas and Alsidez have additionally all pleaded responsible. Sentencing has been set for August.</…….
Source: https://www.freightwaves.com/news/man-pleads-guilty-in-scamming-texas-trucking-company