5 parole officers, counselor arrested for allegedly tampering with government records

Five parole officers and a counselor were arrested Thursday by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) on suspicion of tampering with government records, according to jail records.

Investigators say five of the state employees were arrested at the El Paso office while another was arrested at home.

Oscar Nunez faces five counts of tampering with government records. He posted bond Thursday night. Records show Nunez started working for the department March 20, 2006.

Sergio Galvan faces three counts of tampering with government records. Galvan had not posted bond as of Friday morning. The substance abuse counselor had been with the department since June 13, 2005.

Luz E. Quinonez faces two counts of tampering with government records. Records show she posted a surety bond. Quinonez started working for the department November 19, 2012.

Jesus Lara, Cynthia Leon and Jessica Ibarra each face one count of tampering with government records. All three are out on bond.

Lara had been with the department since March 13, 2000; Leon since October 10, 2011; and Ibarra since August 6, 2012.

Robert Hurst of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice wrote in an email the arrests were a result of a partnership with the Office of the Inspector General, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, and other law enforcement agencies. He would not comment on the investigation, which is continuing.

The TDCJ El Paso District Parole Office has 39 employees. The five parole officers and counselor will not be allowed to work at the office during the course of the investigation, said Jason Clark, a TDCJ spokesman.

“The Parole Division will ensure there is appropriate number of staff at the district parole office and any distribution to normal operations will be minimal,” Clark said.