New Information On $450,000 Contract Between Vendor And EPISD

ABC-7 is digging into the background of Infinity Resources… & Associates, a company that was awarded a sole-source contract with the the El Paso Independent School District in July 2006.

Federal prosecutors are accusing EPISD’s superintendent Dr. Lorenzo Garcia of steering a contract for the same amount of money during the same time period. In an indictment, prosecutors allege Garcia encouraged an unnamed co-conspirator to enter into a contract with EPISD pretending the services or products were worth $500,000, when in reality, they were worth $100,000.

As part of the scheme, the document states, Garcia and his accomplices led the board to believe the company was the sole provider of the services or products in order to avoid competition. The board approved a $450,000 contract on or about July 11, 2006, and the company, which is based in Houston, received two payments of $180,000 each in August of 2006, according to the indictment.

According to the indictment, the money was sent via the U.S. Postal Service, hence the mail fraud charges. The indictment also states Garcia failed to notify the board that he had a personal relationship with the vendor and a personal financial interest in the company.

Garcia has been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, two counts of mail fraud and one count of aiding and abetting theft from programs receiving federal funds.

ABC-7 obtained documents given to EPISD trustees in a July 11, 2006 board meeting from a company called Infinity Resources…& Associates. The company’s president is listed as Tracy Rose.

Nancy Crouch, EPISD’s Elementary Math Facilitator at the time the contract was awarded, said she met Rose twice in 2006. Crouch described the services and products rendered by Rose: “I know that they were math posters that addressed different concepts for kids from grades K through 5,” said Crouch. “She was going to come in and work with the math coaches to deliver the information to the teachers in the campuses on how to effectively utilize the posters she was providing for them.”

Crouch added that she never saw a colleague or business associate with Rose. “She didn’t have any counterparts or colleagues she was working with,” said Crouch.

The address listed on the paperwork for Infinity Resources…& Associates matches up with the driver’s license address listed on a public records search for a woman named Tracy Ledford.

ABC-7 is working on gathering more information on Infinity Resources…& Associates.