Alleged crusade to stop voter fraud lands former HPD captain in handcuffs
https://abc13.com/mark-anthony...erty-center/8802235/
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A former Houston Police Department Captain was arrested and charged for running a man off the road and pointing a gun at his head in an attempt to prove claims of a massive voter fraud scheme in Harris County, according to a news release from the Harris County's DA's office.
Mark Anthony Aguirre, 63, was arrested by Houston police Tuesday and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
"He crossed the line from dirty politics to commission of a violent crime, and we are lucky no one was killed," Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said. "His alleged investigation was backward from the start - first alleging a crime had occurred and then trying to prove it happened."
According to court documents, Aguirre told police that he was part of a group of private citizens called the "Liberty Center," who were conducting a civilian investigation into the alleged ballot scheme.
According to Aguirre, he had been conducting surveillance for four days on a man who was allegedly the mastermind of a giant voter fraud scheme. Aguirre told authorities the man was hiding 750,000 fraudulent ballots in a truck he was driving.
Instead, the victim turned out to be an innocent air conditioner repairman, court documents said.
Aguirre ran his SUV into the back of the truck to get the technician to stop and get out, according to court documents.
When the technician got out of the truck, Aguirre pointed a handgun at the technician, forced him to the ground and put his knee on the man's back until police came, the court document said.
Aguirre allegedly directed police to a parking lot nearby where another suspect, who has not been identified, took the truck.
According to court documents, there were no ballots in the truck. The truck was filled with air conditioning parts and tools.
Aguirre allegedly never told police that he had been paid a total of $266,400 by the Houston-based Liberty Center for God and Country, with $211,400 of that amount being deposited into his account the day after the incident.
The case was investigated by HPD, and is being prosecuted by the Public Corruption Division of the Harris County District Attorney's Office.
Aguirre's claims of election fraud were found to be baseless after thorough investigation by HPD and by the Harris County Precinct 1, as part of the Harris County Election Security Task Force.
He is currently in jail on a $30,000 bond.