If you have information about any of these cases, email or
call the Criminal Investigation Division toll free at 800-531-5441, Ext. 3-8707. You do not have to
disclose your name.
Case Closed
The CID may not always get its man (or woman), but we do get quite a few. Here are some
recent examples:
August 2026
Cooperate or Do the Time
Rojas
Justen Edward Rojas, 41, of El Paso, was convicted of refusing to permit a business inspection.
An investigation revealed the defendant intentionally and knowingly refused to permit a complete inspection of his business where tobacco products are manufactured, produced, stored, transported, sold or offered for sale and failed to produce, on the Comptroller’s office demand, required records.
An El Paso County district judge sentenced Rojas to three years’ incarceration (with 24 days’ jail time credit) and $290 in court costs for refusing to permit a business inspection, a third-degree felony punishable by two to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
Stealing Lands You Behind Bars
Tey-Lias
Jose Tey-Lias, 36, of Converse, was convicted of allegedly evading motor fuel tax.
In January 2024, the defendant illegally acquired approximately 360 gallons of diesel fuel worth $1,264 using stolen credit card information.
A Live Oak County district judge sentenced Tey-Lias to four years’ incarceration in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice system, a fine of $1,000, $290 in court costs, a $115 reimbursement fee and over $1,260 in restitution for evading motor fuel tax, a second-degree felony punishable by two to 20 years in prison. Tey-Lias is also serving two years concurrently for charges of credit/debit card abuse, theft of a petroleum product less than $10,000 and unlawful use of a criminal instrument.
Breaking the state's laws is a losing proposition. Read about those who found that out the hard
way.
August 2026
Aug. 28
Edgar Antonio Gonzalez Alvarez, 38, of Tamaulipas, Mexico, was arrested for failing to keep books and records, a third-degree felony punishable by two to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
An investigation revealed the suspect was transporting fuel in a vehicle that appeared to be modified to conceal multiple cargo fuel tanks. The vehicle had a fuel plumbing configuration, routing and design inconsistent with the original equipment manufacturer specifications. The suspect failed to provide a bill of lading, shipping documents or cargo manifests related to the diesel fuel in the tanks.
The case is pending prosecution in Hidalgo County.
Aug. 20
Elias Gonzalez De La Rosa, 49, of Tamaulipas, Mexico, was arrested for transporting motor fuel without shipping documents, a second-degree felony punishable by two to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000.
An investigation revealed the suspect was transporting approximately 540 gallons of diesel fuel without shipping documents in a vehicle that appeared to be modified to conceal multiple cargo fuel tanks. The vehicle had a fuel plumbing configuration, routing and design inconsistent with the original equipment manufacturer specifications.
The case is pending prosecution in Hidalgo County.
Aug. 19
Jonathan C. Vasquez, 38, of Houston, was indicted for allegedly evading or attempting to evade motor fuel tax, a second-degree felony punishable by two to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000.
An investigation found the defendant admitted to paying an unidentified person $50 to fill the 75-gallon fuel tank of his vehicle with dyed diesel fuel. In Texas, non-taxable diesel is dyed red to distinguish it from taxable diesel. Red-dyed diesel is authorized almost exclusively for off-road, agricultural use by permit holders only.
The case is pending prosecution in Liberty County.
Aug. 11
Jamie Santiago Rodriguez, 50, of San Antonio, was convicted of failing to remit tax collected by a dealer for an amount between $1,500 and $20,000, a state jail felony.
A Bexar County district judge sentenced the defendant to two years’ deferred adjudication,120 hours of community supervision, $1,000 in fines, $290 in court costs and approximately $13,000 in restitution to the state of Texas.
An investigation found the defendant sold motor vehicles and failed to transfer titles and registrations, thus failing to remit $13,000 in sales tax.
Aug. 6
Michael Edward Dixon, 49, of Granbury, was indicted for allegedly providing false information and failing to enter records, a third-degree felony punishable by two to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
An investigation revealed the suspect intentionally and knowingly failed to report the taxable sales pertaining to his food truck business.
The case is pending prosecution in Hood County.
Aug. 1
Ernesto Tundidor, 50, of San Antonio, was indicted for allegedly evading or attempting to evade motor fuel tax, a second-degree felony punishable by two to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000.
An investigation found the defendant and his co-defendant fraudulently used stolen credit cards to unlawfully appropriate approximately 79 gallons of diesel fuel, worth almost $300, without paying fuel tax.
The case is pending prosecution in Bexar County.
Marco Antonio Rangel, III, 25, of La Pryor, was indicted for allegedly accepting delivery of dyed diesel fuel without shipping documents, a third-degree felony punishable by two to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
An investigation found the defendant intentionally and knowingly accepted delivery of more than 170 gallons of stolen untaxed dyed diesel fuel, which was delivered into a fuel cargo tank of his vehicle while he was criminally trespassing in Zavala County. In Texas, non-taxable diesel is dyed red to distinguish it from taxable diesel. Red-dyed diesel is authorized almost exclusively for off-road, agricultural use by permit holders only. The defendant failed to produce a cargo manifest or shipping document related to the stolen fuel.
The case is pending prosecution in Zavala County.
Remington Jay Estrada, 19, of Asherton, was indicted for engaging in motor fuel transactions without a required license, a third-degree felony punishable by two to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
An investigation found the defendant criminally trespassed in Zavala County, illegally acquired more than 170 gallons of untaxed dyed diesel fuel and sold it to his co-conspirator for approximately $150. In Texas, non-taxable diesel is dyed red to distinguish it from taxable diesel. Red-dyed diesel is authorized almost exclusively for off-road, agricultural use by permit holders only. The defendant conducted activities of a motor fuel distributor without being licensed.
The case is pending prosecution in Zavala County.
Ieshia Candancer Douglas, 45, of Dallas, was indicted for tobacco books and records violation, a third-degree felony punishable by two to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
An investigation found the defendant had obtained a tobacco distributor permit for an individual who compensated her $1,000 per month and purchased a vehicle for her. The defendant concealed a book or record and knowingly made, delivered and filed false or incomplete returns, and failed to keep books and records for four years as required by statute.
