Co-defendant of former Hidalgo County sheriff’s commander pleads guilty to theft

Kathy Judy Morales

A 36-year-old McAllen woman charged along with a former Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office commander who served time for taking money from a drug trafficker during former Sheriff Lupe Trevino’s tenure has pleaded guilty to theft.

Kathy Judy Morales on Friday pleaded guilty to a count of theft of property, more than $30,000, but less than $150,000. A charge of engaging in organized criminal activity and 13 counts of credit card abuse were dismissed.

Morales was sentenced to five years probation, court records show. There is also a sealed restitution order.

She is charged along with 64-year-old Weslaco resident Jose A. Padilla, who in 2014 was caught up in a scandal at the sheriff’s office that made national headlines and also resulted in Trevino serving three years in federal prison.

Padilla was indicted on Nov. 17, 2020 on charges of theft of property, more than $30,000, but less than $150,000, three counts of credit card abuse, forgery of a financial instrument and engaging in organized criminal activity.

He has pleaded not guilty.

Pharr police initially arrested Padilla on Aug. 28, 2019.

That warrant was the result of a months-long investigation that began in February of that year when the owner of Unimex Logistics, a trucking company, reported to police that an audit revealed the company had lost nearly $110,000, according to a probable cause affidavit.

In addition to Padilla, Morales and 41-year-old Weslaco resident Milagros Gomez were accused of making unauthorized purchases with the company’s credit card.

Jose Angel Padilla and Milagros Gomez

Gomez pleaded guilty on Oct. 5, 2021 to charges of theft of property, more than $30,000, but less than $150,000, and engaging in organized criminal activity. A charge of credit card abuse was dismissed.

She was sentenced to 10 years probation and was ordered to pay $40,000 in restitution.

Prior to his arrest, Padilla told investigators that the company owed him money and that Gomez authorized all the purchases, but the probable cause affidavit said that Gomez implicated Padilla and Morales, telling authorities that they all made unauthorized purchases.

Padilla is accused of making unauthorized transactions at Dillard’s in McAllen and Austin and at H-E-B stores in McAllen and Pharr.

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