Federal probation officer pleads guilty to drug trafficking and bribery Probation officer was providing confidential information to drug traffickers
BROWNSVILLE, Texas - A U.S. probation officer pleaded guilty on Wednesday to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and bribery of a public official. The plea was announced by U. S. Attorney Tim Johnson, Southern District of Texas. The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in conjunction with the FBI. Armando Mora, 36, of Edinburg, Texas, assigned to the Rio Grande City office of the U.S. Probation Office, pleaded guilty to two counts contained in the indictment at a Dec. 2 hearing in federal court before U.S. District Judge Hilda G. Tagle. Mora is facing at least 10 years up to life imprisonment, in addition to millions of dollars in fines for the drug trafficking offense. On the bribery offense Mora could face a maximum punishment of 15 years imprisonment and thousands in fines. Sentencing is scheduled for March 2 at 1:30 p.m.