Rabid cow at San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo prompts warning

SAN ANTONIO, TX- The Texas Department of State Health Services is notifying people who visited the cattle barn at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo Feb. 11-14 that they may need to be assessed for a possible rabies exposure. A cow in the cattle barn developed rabies and was capable of spreading the virus that causes it during those dates. The solid black cow was being shown by a student from the Miller Grove ISD in Hopkins County.

The cow was only outside of the barn while being shown and loaded and unloaded for transport. Public health officials have been in contact with the people who were caring for the cow and the animals in nearby stalls, so their risk can be assessed.

Rabies is spread through the saliva of infected animals. Anyone who put their hand in the cow’s mouth or nose or had contact between the animal’s saliva and an open wound or mucous membrane like the eyes, nose or mouth should be evaluated for a rabies exposure. Someone in that situation should contact their health care provider as soon as possible and explain the situation. People who didn’t have that kind of contact with the cow are not at risk of contracting the disease.

Rabies can be prevented if treatment is started before symptoms begin, however, once symptoms start, it’s almost always fatal. It usually takes between three weeks and three months for someone exposed to rabies to get sick.

ICE San Antonio removes MS-13 gang member wanted in El Salvador

SAN ANTONIO — Officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) removed a documented member of the transnational criminal gang Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) on Thursday to El Salvador where he is wanted for gang membership and illicit possession of drugs.

Melvin Antonio Delgado, 35, a citizen of El Salvador, was removed via an ICE Air Operations charter flight without incident. Once in El Salvador, ICE ERO officers transferred custody of Delgado to the Policia Nacional Civil (PNC) of El Salvador, which will pursue criminal charges against him.

On Feb. 26, 2019, authorities in El Salvador issued an arrest warrant for Delgado for his role in illicit possession of drugs. ERO San Antonio confirmed the warrant with ICE’s assistant attaché in El Salvador.“The Delgado case shows how effective cooperation between U.S. and Salvadoran law enforcement authorities helps keep our communities safe from violent transnational gang members who try to find safe haven from their crimes in our country,” said Daniel Bible, field office director for ERO San Antonio. “Such cases emphasize the vital nature of ICE’s mission.”

Delgado was encountered Oct. 20, 2018, by immigration officials near Hidalgo, Texas, after he illegally crossed into the United States. Two days later, he was convicted in a Texas federal court for illegal re-entry and sentenced to serve two days in prison. On Oct. 27, 2018, he was transferred to ICE custody. And on Oct. 18, 2019, an immigration judge issued Delgado a final order of removal.

ICE ERO El Salvador and its Security Alliance for Fugitive Enforcement (SAFE) task force provided information that assisted in Delgado’s arrest.

Since Oct. 1, 2009, ERO has removed more than 3,700 foreign fugitives from the United States who were sought in their native countries for serious crimes, including kidnapping, rape and murder. In fiscal year 2019, ICE removed or returned 267,000 aliens. ERO arrested 143,000 aliens, more than 86 percent of whom had criminal convictions or pending criminal charges.

Federal Complaint Filed Against Killeen Woman for Bank Robbery

San Antonio - Eboni Siamone McMurray, age 23 of Killeen, stands charged with allegedly robbing the First National Bank Texas branch in Killeen on Wednesday, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash, FBI San Antonio Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs and Killeen Police Chief Charles F. Kimble.

A federal criminal complaint unsealed today in Waco charges McMurray with one count of bank robbery.  The complaint alleges that on the afternoon of February 12, 2020, McMurray entered the bank located in the 4300 of East Central Texas Expressway.  She approached a teller and demanded that the teller “fill the bag.”  The complaint further states that McMurray then pointed a firearm directly at the teller, told the teller she had five seconds to comply, and began counting down from five.  The teller filled the bag with money as instructed.  McMurray exited the bank with approximately $2,500. 

Based on video surveillance from the scene, investigators were able to identify and subsequently locate McMurray’s vehicle.  FBI agents and Killeen Police officers, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, arrested McMurray at her residence without incident yesterday. 

McMurray faces up to 25 years in federal prison upon conviction. She remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing on Tuesday at 9:00am before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Manske in Waco.  

The FBI and Killeen Police Department are investigating this case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Gloff is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.

It is important to note that a criminal complaint is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law

San Antonio pharmaceutical rep sentenced for paying $400K in bribes to doctors

In San Antonio this morning, a federal judge sentenced 46-year-old former pharmaceutical sales representative, Holly Blakely, of San Antonio, TX, to 30 months in federal prison for a Bribery/Health Care Fraud scheme that netted her over $1 million, announced U.S. Attorney John Bash, FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division, and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

In addition to the prison term, Senior U.S. District Judge Fred Biery ordered that Blakely pay $ 1,746,222 in restitution and be placed on supervised release for a period of 3 years after completing her prison term.  Federal authorities had previously forfeited approximately $88,800 in proceeds from the sale of Blakely’s house. Judge Biery also ordered Blakely, who remains on bond, to surrender to the U.S. Marshals Service by June 15, 2020, in order to begin her prison term.

On February 21, 2019, Blakely pleaded guilty to one conspiracy count that involved wire fraud, Health Care Fraud, violating the Texas Commercial Bribery statute, and paying and receiving illegal kickbacks.  

According to court records, from February 2013 through December 2014, Blakely and others submitted numerous fraudulent prescriptions on behalf of unsuspecting individuals to two different pharmacies for compounding medications.  Numerous prescriptions were for patients who never sought treatment from the medical professional who wrote, or whose name was used to obtain, the prescription.

Blakely received commissions from pharmacies based on the amount of money the pharmacies received from private and government health care insurers for prescriptions submitted by conspirators and filled by the pharmacies.  Blakely, in turn, paid kickbacks to medical professionals to induce them into writing prescriptions for insured patients.

The total loss amount due to the defendant’s scheme was approximately $8,846,972.

The FBI, together with investigators from DEA Diversion, the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Texas Department of Public Safety; Office of Professional Management – Office of the Inspector General (OPM - OIG); Defense Criminal Investigation Service (DCIS) and Air Force Office of Investigations (AFOSI) investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin Chung and Antonio Franco, Jr. are prosecuting this case on behalf of the Government, with assistance from Steven Seward of the Financial Litigation Unit.