Webb County Sheriff Martin Cuellar faced a federal judge on Thursday, charged with misappropriating public funds to operate a fraudulent disinfecting business during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cuellar has pleaded not guilty and was released on bond.
Cuellar, along with his assistant chief, was indicted in November. The unsealed charges allege that they launched a private entity called Disinfect Pro Master in April 2020, entering into contracts with local businesses and restaurants without possessing any employees or supplies.
The business reportedly secured a $500,000 contract to sanitize schools in Laredo, utilizing personnel and resources from the sheriff’s department to fulfill this obligation, stated U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei from the Southern District of Texas.
“For over two years, the operation allegedly functioned predominantly with county resources, maintaining minimal overhead,” Ganjei noted, indicating that Cuellar and two deputies divided the profits, each reportedly taking home around $175,000.
Cuellar’s former deputy, Rick Rodriguez, has already pleaded guilty for his involvement in the scheme. On Thursday, Cuellar’s attorney firmly rejected any claims of wrongdoing on his client’s part.
“The government will need to substantiate its case that any misconduct was known to the sheriff,” stated Eric Reed of the Reed Law Firm in Houston. “They will not succeed because he was neither aware of nor involved in any wrongdoing.”
Cuellar could potentially face a decade in federal prison for conspiracy and theft of federal funds, alongside an additional ten years for money laundering charges tied to the alleged profits used for purchasing property in Laredo.
Martin Cuellar is the brother of U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar, a Democrat from Laredo, who was recently pardoned by President Donald Trump for federal corruption charges. Henry Cuellar was indicted in May 2024 on multiple counts, including bribery and money laundering related to dealings with an oil-and-gas company from Azerbaijan and a Mexican bank.
Martin Cuellar, a Democrat, was re-elected in 2024 for a fifth term as Webb County’s sheriff, a position he has held since 2009. Meanwhile, Henry Cuellar is campaigning for his 12th term representing his South Texas district. Trump has publicly criticized the congressman for his “lack of loyalty” after deciding to run again as a Democrat following his pardon.
Reed expressed concern that political motives might be influencing the government’s decision to pursue this case, which he believes “should have been allowed to fade away” a year ago.
“I am worried that the government is moving forward despite clear evidence that could exonerate the sheriff,” he remarked.
