A Houston resident has received sentencing for providing false information to gain access to the state database, allowing her to print illegal tags and sell them to other individuals online, as per the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Leidy Hernandez Lopez, aged 43, pleaded guilty on May 10, 2023, to the purchase and sale of fraudulent Texas-issued temporary buyer tags.
Lopez has been ordered by a judge to serve 30 months in federal prison, followed immediately by three years of supervised release. Additionally, she is required to pay $316,820 in restitution to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, according to U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
According to Hamdani, Lopez confessed to collaborating with others to sell hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of counterfeit paper tags.
In a related case, Octavian Ocasio, a 50-year-old from New York, was charged and arrested in May for his involvement in the same scheme. Furthermore, in June 2022, a federal grand jury indicted Daniel Rocky Christine-Tani, aged 33, for his role in the extensive fraud.
Additionally, the indictment includes further charges against Emmanuel Padilla Reyes, aged 32, who remains a fugitive. Reyes, also known as Christian Hernandez Bonilla or Noel Rivera, is wanted by the FBI. Anyone with information regarding Reyes’ whereabouts is encouraged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or via email at www.TIPS.FBI.GOV. The FBI is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading directly to his arrest.
Looking forward, Jones remains focused on the present, emphasizing the importance of each upcoming game rather than fixating on future milestones. He expressed his commitment to continue mentoring young men and shaping them into responsible citizens.
Jones’s coaching career spans 27 years across three programs: Kinkaid (1995-2003), Strake Jesuit (2003-2012), and Episcopal High School (2012-present).
