SAN ANTONIO – A former Maverick County sheriff’s deputy accused of accepting multiple bribes in exchange for removing criminal warrants had recently been hired by the Edgewood Independent School District Police Department, a district official confirmed Tuesday.
Fernando Chacon Jr., 41, was arrested in San Antonio Oct. 28 after being indicted on two counts of wire fraud, federal court records show.
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Chacon, while working as an investigator for the Maverick County Sheriff’s Office, accepted cash and money via wire transfers from a confidential source, records show. In exchange for the funds, Chacon removed pending tickets, criminal warrants and searched a law enforcement database all on behalf of the person, federal court records reveal.
Chacon received at least $2,800 during the alleged scheme, which he was accused of carrying out from March 2019 to this January.
Chacon told the source his supervisors were unaware of his actions, federal court records reveal.
He faces two counts of wire fraud and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count, according to a U.S. Department of Justice press release.
Chacon was taken into custody, without incident, at the Edgewood ISD police department, an FBI spokesperson confirmed Tuesday afternoon. This is typically a district location where no students are present.
“An extensive background check was conducted and cleared for Mr. Fernando Chacon,” according to a statement released from the school district. “EISD followed appropriate per the outcome of the investigation conducted by the Office of the FBI. Mr. Chacon is no longer employed with the district.”
Chacon had been employed by the Maverick County Sheriff’s Office as recently as Oct. 4, before departing the agency, a Maverick County official confirmed Tuesday.
Edgewood ISD officials did not provide his date of hire.