Prosecution Rests in ‘Chilo’ Madrid Trial

Federal prosecutors rested their case against the former CEO of a non-profit substance-abuse counseling agency, Tuesday afternoon.

Cirilio “Chilo” Madrid is accused of taking part in the bribery of El Paso County judges as well as embezzling federal funds granted to the Border Children’s Mental Health Collaborative, a county-run children’s mental health organization.

A Federal Bureau of Investigation agent testified that telephone service provider call records showed multiple communications among Madrid, former El Paso County Judge Dolores Briones, and former El Paso County Judge Anthony Cobos from 2005 to 2007.

The agent testified the number of calls spiked at times when crucial decisions were being made concerning LKG’s ill-fated $550,000 contract with El Paso County.

Briones pleaded guilty to accepting bribes. Cobos has never been indicted on bribery charges.

Also introduced was an undercover audio recording from 2010, between Briones and Madrid.

Briones became a cooperating witness with the FBI and agreed to wear a microphone during a meeting she initiated with Madrid at the VIllage Inn on North Mesa on July 25, 2010.

The audio tape was difficult to understand, much of it in Spanglish, however a transcript was provided to the jury.

“I just don’t want to get into trouble,” Briones tells Madrid in the recording. “I just don’t want to get into trouble.”

In the recorded meeting, Madrid and Briones discuss how they will explain to investigators their roles in LKG’s contract with BCMHC.

While still the CEO of Aliviane, a non-profit substance-abuse counseling agency, Madrid had been given a subcontract by Jose Soria, a man who worked under him at Aliviane.

Soria testified on Monday that he was given the subcontract by LKG Inc., to come up with a sustainability plan for the federally-funded BCMHC once the grant money was gone.

Soria then subcontracted his boss, Madrid, to develop the sustainability plan and paid Madrid $99,800 for his work.

The quality of Madrid’s work was called into question in court this week, which continued on Tuesday.

An El Paso county attorney testified that in a deposition he took from Madrid for the county’s civil case against LKG in 2010, he was immediately suspicious.

El Paso County attorney Michael Wyatt said he was able to examine the work Madrid was subcontracted to perform.

“I would take a passage of it and type it into Google,” Wyatt testified. “When Google would return, word-for-word web pages. He admitted he had extensively lifted passages from the internet then inserted them into his report. He stated his work was worth $100,000 for that year.”

Wyatt said Madrid stated that was how he “did research.”

Wyatt also said Madrid claimed to have a Ph.D. from a school named Hamilton University. Wyatt said it was a bogus claim from what he called an “online degree mill.”

Wyatt said that in his research he learned Hamilton University was nothing more than a store front, the owner of which was serving a prison sentence for tax evasion.

The head of LKG has pleaded guilty in the case, however Madrid maintains his innocence.

Soria was never indicted for his involvement in the contract or subcontract award to Madrid.

Soria continues to work in a supervisory position at Aliviane.

Madrid left as Aliviane’s CEO in 2011 after he was indicted.

The defense’s rebuttal continues on Wednesday morning.