Alleged crusade to stop voter fraud lands former HPD captain in handcuffs
By Miya Shay
KTRK
December 16, 2020
HOUSTON, Texas -- A former Houston Police Department Captain was
arrested and charged for running a man off the road and pointing a gun
at his head in an attempt to prove claims of a massive voter fraud
scheme in Harris County, according to a news release from the Harris
County's DA's office.
Mark Anthony Aguirre, 63, was arrested by
Houston police Tuesday and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly
weapon, a second-degree felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
According to court documents, Aguirre told police that he was part of a group of private citizens called the "Liberty Center," who were conducting a civilian investigation into the alleged ballot scheme.
According to Aguirre, he had been conducting surveillance for four days on a man who was allegedly the mastermind of a giant voter fraud scheme. Aguirre told authorities the man was hiding 750,000 fraudulent ballots in a truck he was driving.
Instead, the victim turned out to be an innocent air conditioner repairman, court documents said.
Aguirre ran his SUV into the back of the truck to get the technician to stop and get out, according to court documents.
When the technician got out of the truck, Aguirre pointed a handgun at the technician, forced him to the ground and put his knee on the man's back until police came, the court document said.
Aguirre allegedly directed police to a parking lot nearby where another suspect, who has not been identified, took the truck.
According to court documents, there were no ballots in the truck. The truck was filled with air conditioning parts and tools.
"I think it's a political prosecution. I really do," said Terry Yates, Aguirre's attorney. "He was working and investigating voter fraud, and there was an accident. A member of the car got out and rushed at him and that's where the confrontation took place. It's very different from what you're citing in the affidavit."
Aguirre allegedly never told police that he had been paid a total of $266,400 by the Houston-based Liberty Center for God and Country, with $211,400 of that amount being deposited into his account the day after the incident.
"Does the Liberty Center endorse that?" ABC13 reporter Jessica Willey asked Jared Woodfill, the attorney for Dr. Steven Hotze, the president of the right-leaning Liberty Center.
"No, of course not. I'd be shocked if that's what happened," said Woodfill. "His company definitely worked for the organization. With respect to what happened, I'm not familiar, but we'll be looking into it."
On Wednesday, a day after Aguirre was arrested and charged, Lillie Schechter, the Harris County Democratic Party Chair, released a statement.
"It is shocking what people will do in their far-fetched attempts to invalidate the election. President Trump continues to support this type of baseless claim. He promotes voter fraud hoping to win back a lost election, motivating his most loyal supporters to try to manufacture evidence. Mr. Aguirre crossed the line in his attempt to support one of President Trump's conspiracy theories. These lies are damaging to our democracy and continue to divide our nation."
The case was investigated by HPD, and is being prosecuted by the Public Corruption Division of the Harris County District Attorney's Office.
Aguirre's claims of election fraud were found to be baseless after thorough investigation by HPD and by the Harris County Precinct 1, as part of the Harris County Election Security Task Force.
He is currently in jail on a $30,000 bond.
Aguirre worked for HPD for 24 years and was indefinitely suspended after a botched raid outside a westside K-Mart in 2002.
2 comments:
If this guy was a former Captain that had made the rank in 24 years, then he was a rising star. He must have really screwed the pooch in 2002. A Captain in HPD is a Division Commander. Glad he is gone from law enforcement.
Why should Odd Ogg give a tinker's damn about correct procedure.?
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