Pubdate: 5 Jan 1999 Source: San Antonio Express-News (TX) Contact: http://www.expressnews.com/ Forum: http://data.express-news.net:2080/eshare/server?action4 Copyright: 1999 San Antonio Express-News Author: Dane Schiller WEBB PROSECUTOR'S BRIBERY TRIAL UNDER WAY LAREDO — An assistant Webb County district attorney on trial here took more than $20,000 in bribes during a three-year undercover investigation in which an FBI informant posed as a bounty hunter, a federal prosecutor told jurors Monday. But in a spirited counterattack, a defense attorney charged the government's case was made by desperate liars and that none of dozens of secretly recorded conversations prove his client was corrupt. The government made up the case out of desperation to justify the lengthy investigation, the defense said. Ramon Villafranca, 58, faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if he is convicted of any of the five counts, including conspiracy and bribery, for which he was indicted last year by a federal grand jury. He is the first person to be tried in the investigation that centered on the office of Joe Rubio, the Webb County district attorney. Rubio has not been charged and has insisted he is innocent of any wrongdoing. Testimony was to begin this morning and could last three weeks. Among the witnesses slated to take the stand is Rey Cantu, a former Cameron County district attorney, whom prosecutors said would explain to jurors how a prosecutor's office should function and what Villafranca's discretion would have included. "He (Villafranca) broke the very laws he swore to uphold," Assistant U.S. Attorney Don DeGabrielle said in opening arguments. "He accepted bribe money he had no business accepting." The bribes came from 15 people arrested on drug charges, ranging from possession of a crack pipe to smuggling more than 400 pounds of marijuana across the U.S.-Mexico border, DeGabrielle said. Dozens of secretly recorded conversations will back up the case, said DeGabrielle, who described a scheme in which Villafranca discussed and received bribes in his county office, in the bathroom at the county courthouse and at a law firm where he had an office. Jesse Salas, a former Atascosa County law enforcement officer, was working for the FBI and wore a hidden microphone as he met separately with Villafranca and Ruben Garcia, a former state district judge who has pleaded guilty to extortion, DeGabrielle said. In May 1998, when FBI and Internal Revenue Service agents raided Rubio's office and several homes and other offices here, Garcia agreed to cooperate with federal authorities, DeGabrielle said. Garcia pleaded guilty to extortion late last year and could be granted leniency in exchange for his testimony, according to court documents. But Julio Garcia, one of three attorneys representing Villafranca, predicted Ruben Garcia would lie to save his skin, and the defense lawyer charged that Salas was "out of control." Salas' credibility was torn apart by his past as well as his compensation package from the government that included having his rent paid, a $1,500-a-month salary and a bonus for making cases, Julio Garcia said. "Mr. Salas is not lily white and pure as snow," the attorney said. "Mr. Salas has brought a tale to this court." U.S. District Judge John Rainey admonished Julio Garcia to "remain under control" seconds after an emotional appeal to jurors in which he said he would show that some members of law enforcement "refer to Mexican-Americans as 'cockroaches.' " "If I appear to be upset and angry, I am," Julio Garcia told jurors. "This whole case stinks." "It's going to be push and pull, nip and tuck and fight and scratch all the way down the line," he concluded. Federal authorities have said the investigation is continuing. Lawyers for both sides huddled with Rainey behind closed doors at the end of opening arguments Monday to "discuss an ongoing investigation," but no one would say what transpired. - --- MAP posted-by: Mike Gogulski