Agents raid Texas Democrat's offices (of influential Democratic donor to Hillary and other dems)

Yes. You’re 100% correct.

There is a good reason why Texas politicos don’t want the border fence. It will cut off the money machine.

Saturday, January 5, 2008
Re: Mauricio Celis Latest
From: FlAttorney, Chairman SFAF

The FBI is on this with the Texas State AG's office and they have been for some time. Nueces County District Attorney Carlos Valdez is the same DA that prosecuted Yolanda Saldivar for the cold-blooded murder of tejano super-star Selena (Too bad under Texas law Saldivar could not have received the death sentence for killing that kid. What a senseless loss of incredible talent.) Valdez is a raw meat bulldog, loves public attention, and is perfect for this Mauricio Celis case. The problem is Celis has many of the local judges in his pocket along with the Corpus Christi MSM newspaper.

The list and amounts of Celis donations to Democrats, both State and National including Hillary Clinton, is long and substantial. I understand Celis is having “memory problems”. To get MauRICO to start telling everything he knows, I think he should be put back into a general population holding cell and all the other inmates in the cell given a box of Cialis to do whatever they want with the guy. A lil’ South Texas justice would go a long way with Celis who will skip the Country back to Mexico the second he gets a clear opportunity.

FYI, the FR Celis threads were added to my Hillary Clinton section. The Tom DeLay section was also updated today, with DeLay related news threads posted. - See Tom DeLay section on FlAttorney's FR "Straight Talk" page

Posted for FlAttorney by MAR

thank you

The problem is Celis has many of the local judges in his pocket along with the Corpus Christi MSM newspaper.

Fortunately this case is being handled by a judge from San Antonio.

I really hope they roll with it, but somehow I tend to doubt anything will come out of this. It will just slowly fade away into nothing.

I’ll pitch these two posts on the FR pile – FlA
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01.05.08: The facts will prove that Mauricio Celis - - I/we call him MauRICO, like in the Federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act - - is a campaign donations bundler, like Norman Hsu and the Paw Family, for Hillary Clinton & other Dems. - FlA

Corpus Christi - - Sworn statements in a Zapata County lawsuit provide a view into the world and business dealings of Mauricio Celis, the embattled law firm operator accused of impersonating a lawyer and sheriff's deputy. Those statements by Celis in May claim that he is, indeed, a sheriff's deputy, that he has the clearance and credentials to practice law in Mexico and that he has found legal means to operate a law firm in Texas. Celis, a major donor to Democratic causes in South Texas and nationally, was relatively unknown to the public until a series of bizarre events thrust him into the limelight last month. On Sept. 17, a nearly nude woman fled his Kings Crossing home and Celis, 35, appeared on the scene flashing a Duval County sheriff's badge, asking that the woman be turned over to him, according to police reports. Celis' law enforcement credentials expired in 2003.

01.05.08: Celis Now Accused of Laundering Millions - FlA

AG Executes Search Warrant for CGT Law Offices
Texas Lawyer by Brenda Sapino Jeffreys
Friday, January 4, 2008

Mauricio Celis, the majority partner in Corpus Christi’s CGT Law Group International who faces civil litigation and criminal charges that he falsely held himself out as a lawyer, may have committed the “felony offense of money laundering,” an investigator for the Texas Office of the Attorney General alleges in an affidavit used to obtain a warrant to search CGT offices on Jan. 4. [Note: Investigators raided Celis' eighth floor office in the Prosperity Bank building Friday, where his firm, CGT law group, operated. <> Aw yes, Prosperity Bank a.k.a. Prosperity Bancshares and the Zalman brothers cartel, no surprise here - FlA]

Capt. Alex Pena, a Texas peace officer working for Attorney General Greg Abbott’s office, alleges in an Affidavit for Search Warrant that the AG’s office learned, after a “routine financial database check” on Celis and CGT, that Celis withdrew more than $7.8 million in cash from various banks in the Nueces County area over the past seven years, and that on many occasions he traveled to Mexico shortly after withdrawing large sums of cash. “Affiant [Pena] learned that in addition to leading a flamboyant lifestyle, Mauricio Celis is rumored to be associated with questionable criminal element possibly related to drug trafficking,” Pena alleges in the affidavit presented today to 319th District Judge Thomas Greenwell. Pena alleges that records obtained from Frost Bank reveal that Celis and Raul Armando Winder, a Mexican citizen, opened a joint account in January 2005 styled Pegasus Air Services, and that Texas Secretary of State filings indicate Pegasus is owned by Celis. “On the bank application, Raul Armando Winder is listed as vice president. Mexican intelligence states that Winder is known as a pilot with extensive travel history in and out of Mexico and the U.S. He is a former Mexican Police Officer and has been employed as a pilot in the past by certain individuals linked to narco-trafficking,” Pena alleges in the affidavit.

Greenwell issued the search warrant on the morning of Jan. 4, and by the afternoon, Pena had filed an Evidence Inventory List. According to the list prepared by Pena, the Office of the Texas Attorney General, Financial Crimes Division, obtained a large number of financial and corporate documents. The search warrant authorized Pena to obtain documents from CGT and several other companies that allegedly did business out of the same offices on Water Street in Corpus Christi, including Celis Oil and Gas, Tapatio Inc., Celis Southside Investments and Celis Investments. The warrant authorized Pena to obtain information relating to individuals “who assisted with legal claims by CGT,” or were referred to other attorneys by CGT. It also authorized Pena to obtain all flight logs or flight data, whether in electronic or paper form, including destinations, passengers and crew, dates of flights, times of flights and reasons for flights.

J.A. “Tony” Canales, Celis’ criminal-defense attorney, did not immediately return a telephone message left at his office in Corpus Christi. However, he issued a written statement on the afternoon of Jan. 4, characterizing the search as a “politically motivated abuse of power” and a “violation of the grand jury system.” He pointed out that Celis is a prominent Democrat and Abbott is a Republican. “A local grand jury has already acted on these allegations that we look forward to beating in court. And now here comes this Republican down form Austin taking over the grand jury to play Ken Starr,” Canales, a partner in Canales & Simonson, says in the statement.

In a written statement on Jan. 4, Jerry Strickland, a spokesman for Abbott, says the AG’s office executed the search warrant as part of an ongoing criminal investigation with the Nueces County District Attorney’s Office. “The Office of the Attorney General, which regularly conducts and supervises complex money laundering investigations, is assisting the Nueces County District Attorney with this case,” Strickland says in the statement. Nueces County DA Carlos Valdez did not immediately return a telephone message.

Other Legal Woes - - In November, a Nueces County grand jury indicted Celis on 10 criminal charges; seven counts of falsely holding himself out as a lawyer, one count of aggravated perjury, one count of impersonating a public servant and one count of theft. Celis also faces civil litigation, including a suit filed in state district court in Nueces County in November by the Texas Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee, alleging CGT and Celis engaged in the unauthorized practice of law. In October, the AG’s office filed a suit in Travis County alleging Celis has engaged in the unauthorized practice of law and that CGT has permitted “non-lawyer” Celis to share in legal fees and referral fees paid to CGT. [See “Committee Sues Celis, Firm, Alleging Unauthorized Practice of Law,” Texas Lawyer, Dec. 3, 2007, page 1.] (1)

The AG’s office provided file-stamped copies of the search warrant, inventory and affidavit, but declines comment beyond Strickland’s statement. In the affidavit, Pena alleges that he believes evidence of Celis’ alleged money laundering can be found in computer files and other documents stored in the office of former CGT employee Lee A. Trujillo, who had been controller, bookkeeper and accountant for CGT. “That records will be in ‘Quick Book’ program that Trujillo described. Files to be found will be Vendor Payable files, Bank statement reconciliation, Tax return files, Payroll reports, W-2s and other financial data related to fraud, illegal representation as an attorney and possibly drug trafficking,” Pena alleges in the affidavit. According to Pena’s affidavit, Trujillo told him on Jan. 3 that Trujillo had “effectively resigned” from CGT and was in the process of vacating his office, along with “everyone else.” Pena alleges that all employees of CGT have been asked to vacate their office by Jan. 6. CGT’s Web site was not working on Jan. 4, and neither were its phone lines. An attempt to reach Celis on his cell phone was unsuccessful.

FOOTNOTES – FlA
A1. 12.03.07 Texas Lawyer: Committee Sues Celis, Firm, Alleges Unauthorized Practice of Law
A2. 12.03.07 Texas Lawyer: Plaintiff's Petition - UPCL vs Celis
B. 11.16.07 Texas Lawyer: Mauricio Celis Indicted on 10 Criminal Counts
C. All Texas Lawyer Celis Articles

http://www.law.com/jsp/tx/PubArticleTX.jsp?id=1199441132736

01.05.08: I believe the correct judicial legal terminology here is “corrupt circle jerk in the first degree”. – FlAttorney

Source: TDCAA - Texas District & County Attorneys Association

Mauricio Celis Surrenders; 2 Judges Recused
- - After tussle over flight risk, bail is set at $50,000
Corpus Christi Caller Times, by Dan Kelley and Denise Malan, November 20, 2007

CORPUS CHRISTI — Mauricio Celis surrendered to authorities Monday after two judges, one on Friday and another Monday afternoon, recused themselves during bail hearings. In the end, Judge J. Manuel Bañales set bail at $50,000. District Attorney Carlos Valdez had asked for $1 million bail, saying Celis was a flight risk to Mexico. Jail officials late Monday said Celis was released.

Celis, 36, was indicted Friday on charges of theft, perjury, impersonating a lawyer and impersonating a police officer. The case was randomly assigned Friday to Judge Marisela Saldaña, who recused herself and delayed proceedings until Monday. A second judge, Nelva Gonzales Ramos, was assigned Monday solely to set bail. Celis attorney Tony Canales sought her recusal, which she denied, setting the stage for a hearing in which another judge would decide the matter. She later signed an order formally recusing herself from the case, clearing the way for Bañales to hold a bail hearing. Judges do not have to state the reason for recusal on the orders they sign. Texas court rules state that judges should recuse themselves during any proceeding in which their impartiality might reasonably be questioned.

Celis is a major Democratic campaign donor in Texas. Since 2002, he and his law firm have contributed to the campaigns of three sitting district judges in Nueces County: $9,500 to Saldaña, $5,000 to Robert Galvan and $2,500 to Sandra Watts, according to the Texas Ethics Commission. A judge has not been assigned to hear the criminal case.

Gonzales Ramos was the latest in a string of recusals in civil and criminal cases involving Celis. The District Clerk's Office assigns cases randomly to judges. If judges recuse, a presiding judge -- Bañales in this region -- assigns another judge. Gonzales Ramos previously recused herself from a case Celis filed against personal injury lawyer Thomas J. Henry and KRIS-TV for airing ads alleging Celis was not licensed to practice law. Bañales assigned Judge Leonel Alejandro to that case, which was later dropped.

Saldaña recused herself in the bond hearing against Celis. In September, Saldaña signed a restraining order after-hours barring the television commercials Henry aired against Celis. She had received campaign contributions from both Celis and Henry and has said her decision to sign the order at a restaurant on a Friday evening was not political or out of the ordinary.

Robert Vargas, Nueces County Court at Law No. 1 judge, recused himself from a case a local woman filed alleging Celis acted as her attorney. Henry is her attorney in the case against Celis. Bañales assigned Kleberg County Court-at-law Judge Martin Chiuminatto Jr. to hear the case.

District Judge Joe Lopez in Zapata County recused himself from a case in which a McAllen law firm is disputing attorney fees sought by Celis and his firm, CGT Law Group International. Retired District Judge Gus Strauss is hearing that lawsuit.

That Zapata County case was originally filed in Nueces County, where it went through three judges about a year ago. Nueces County Court-at-Law No. 2 Judge Lisa Gonzalez recused herself, then CGT objected to assigned Judge Henry G. Schuble III, whom the state Supreme Court chief justice had assigned. The justice assigned a third judge, Daniel Robles of Cameron County, before the case was moved to Zapata County.

For most defendants, bail hearings are routine affairs, but Monday's proceedings saw a few fireworks as Celis' lawyers complained about the prosecution's request for $1 million bail. Celis remained silent for most of the proceedings, reading a law book while waiting for a hearing to begin and nodding when his lawyer sparred with prosecutors. He spoke out once in his own defense, while reciting his history as a veteran of Operation Desert Storm. "I don't appreciate the fact that the prosecution is treating me like a second-class citizen," he said, as his lawyers tried to hush him. Canales said his client had made himself available to surrender at any time since indictment.

Bañales also made a condition of bail that Celis place a sign at the offices of his firm, CGT Law Group International, that states Celis is not a lawyer. Three CGT lawyers have formed a new firm, Gwyther, Hada & Associates, at the same address to handle CGT's cases. Defense attorneys argued that the sign would harm the firm's practice, but Bañales denied their objection. Celis also must surrender his passport and any firearms he owns, submit to a 9 p.m. curfew and pre-trial supervision and refrain from drinking alcohol.

Celis Background Article
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Mauricio Celis; Clash is one for the law books
San Antonio Express-News by John MacCormack
October 05, 2007

CORPUS CHRISTI — For years, Mauricio Celis has enjoyed all the trappings of a successful South Texas lawyer, from a private jet and exotic cars like Ferraris and Bentleys, to a spacious downtown office with a sweeping view of the marina. Owner of a law firm that regularly refers high-dollar cases to the city's most powerful litigators, Celis developed a reputation as a generous player, handing out fat checks to Democratic candidates, hosting fundraisers and serving on the board of Catholic Charities of Corpus Christi.

Born in Mexico, raised in Rockport, educated in Monterrey, Mexico, and for a while apparently in the air-conditioning business, Celis seemed a South Texas version of the classic American success story. But the story line took a bad turn on Sept. 28, when Thomas Henry, a Corpus Christi lawyer, appeared on a local television station and denounced Celis, 35, as a fraud. "Mauricio Celis with the law firm of CGT Law Group International does not have a law license in the state of Texas nor does he have a license to practice law anywhere in the world," announced Henry in the paid TV spot. "If you have hired this law firm, you may be entitled to a refund of all the attorneys fees paid. Contact me immediately," he said.

Celis quickly sued Henry and the TV station that ran the spot, obtaining a temporary restraining order that knocked the ad off the air. A hearing on the matter is set for Wednesday in state district court. Celis said a slander suit would follow. "He was wrong in his statements. I have never represented myself to be a lawyer in Texas," Celis said by phone in a brief interview this week. "I'm the general manager and chief administrator. I don't practice law. My office co-litigates cases with other firms," he said, declining to comment further.

Celis said his CGT Law Group International has working branch offices in Beverly Hills, Calif.; Phoenix; Washington, D.C.; Mexico City; and Chihuahua, Mexico. However, attempts to confirm the existence of these offices through public records were unsuccessful.

Even before Henry's public call-out, Celis was at the center of a bizarre Sept. 17 incident in which a naked 25-year-old woman ran into a Corpus Christi convenience store about 4 a.m., initially claiming she was fleeing a sexual assault. According to police, Celis appeared in a bathrobe, flashed a sheriff's deputy badge from nearby Duval County and told officers he would take custody of the woman. The woman and Celis told police she and others had been drinking and ended up in the hot tub at Celis' house. "Mr. Celis then stated that (the woman) all of a sudden jumped out of the pool and ran out of the house," a police report states. The woman claimed she had been groped in the tub but didn't file a complaint. The Nueces County Sheriff's Office is investigating whether Celis can be charged with impersonating a police officer or interfering with an investigation, a department spokeswoman said. Celis, a Duval County reserve deputy, could not be reached for comment on the episode.

Longtime questions - - Questions about his legal credentials had long circulated in South Texas. In a deposition this spring over disputed legal fees, one lawyer put it bluntly to the presiding judge. "What we are trying to do ... is prove that CGT International is, in fact, a sham law firm operating illegally, and is nothing more than a runner ambulance-chasing referral organization that has a history of referring cases that they have solicited improperly, and sent off to other lawyers," said lawyer Ray Thomas. Henry said he waited months for various authorities — including the State Bar of Texas and the Texas Supreme Court's committee on unauthorized practice of law — to respond to his written complaints. Henry said he also complained to the attorney general and to the Nueces County district attorney. Calls made this week seeking comment from officials contacted by Henry were not returned.

In Texas, the unauthorized practice of law is a felony. It is also illegal for lawyers to share fees with non-lawyers or for non-lawyers to own an interest in a law firm, with certain narrow exceptions. And according to the State Bar, Celis is not licensed to practice law in Texas. Still, newspaper articles and even Texas Monthly have regularly identified him as a lawyer. In a 2006 story in the Chicago Tribune, Celis is described as the "family attorney" of the survivors of a tragic house fire, and is quoted speaking poignantly about their loss. Until this week, his firm's Web site and stationery repeatedly identified him as an attorney, licensed to practice law variously in Mexico, California or Washington, D.C. Those references on the site were deleted after Henry's accusation aired. Celis claims he has a law license from Mexico, and has the right to own and operate a law firm in Texas because it is affiliated with one he owns in Washington.

However, according to a heavyweight lineup of legal experts consulted by Henry, Celis should not be operating a law firm in Texas and other firms should not be accepting case referrals from him. Among other conclusions reached by retired Texas Supreme Court Justice Craig Enoch, St. Mary's University Law Professor Michael Ariens and George W. Jones, former president of the Washington, D.C., bar association, are that Celis has no law license from any known jurisdiction — including Mexico — and should have nothing to do with the practice of law in Texas. "Texas citizens have a strong and immediate interest in enjoining Celis and CGT from further practice in Texas," Enoch wrote in a Sept. 5 report.

Mixed reaction - - Henry's confrontation with Celis has some lawyers here wincing and others cheering. "The general feeling is that Thomas J. Henry has put his law firm and reputation on the line," said Robert Hilliard, another local plaintiff's lawyer. "If he's wrong, he won't be able to keep practicing in this town. If he's right, I don't know how Mauricio can stay." Hilliard said the Celis flap made him reconsider a case he recently took on referral from CGT. He said a series of letters back and forth with the firm did little to strengthen his confidence.

Other Corpus Christi firms are believed to have taken lucrative referrals from CGT. But with Celis now under attack, not all of them wanted to confirm it. "I'm not going to talk about that. I'm providing no information," said Craig Sico, a principal in the firm of Sico, White & Braugh, when asked about the referrals. Mikal Watts, an even bigger fish in the local legal pond, acknowledged the relationship, but downplayed it. "It's not a major part of my business. There may have been one or two cases in the past few years," he said. Watts is seeking the Democratic nomination for the U.S Senate and Celis donated $4,600 to that effort this year.

Henry predicted the court order blocking his TV spots will soon be lifted, and he vows to resume his public crusade against a man he believes is a threat to the public and legitimate lawyers in town. "I'm smoking him out," he said. "My intention is to spend $100,000 on this advertising so the public is aware. I don't want to see people victimized by this man at the worst time of their life. It's sickening."

“Just more news you’ll never see on the NBC or CBS evening News...”

Amen brother. Amen.

The raid came one day after investigators interviewed accountants for Celis.

Sounds more like the arrest was motivated by evidence!

Bañales also made a condition of bail that Celis place a sign at the offices of his firm, CGT Law Group International, that states Celis is not a lawyer. Three CGT lawyers have formed a new firm, Gwyther, Hada & Associates, at the same address to handle CGT's cases. Defense attorneys argued that the sign would harm the firm's practice, but Bañales denied their objection. Celis also must surrender his passport and any firearms he owns, submit to a 9 p.m. curfew and pre-trial supervision and refrain from drinking alcohol.

Here's some stuff from their website

Douglas R. Gwyther, Jr.
Licensed in Texas & Washington, D.C.

James H. Hada *
Licensed in Texas, New Mexico & Pending Admission in Florida T.

Christopher Pinedo
Licensed in Texas, California, Arizona & Michigan

* Board Certified In Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization

It’s Delay’s fault

Now you know there is no such thing as “evidence” against a dim don’t you????

Is this your neighbor?

Celis is not licensed to practice law in Texas, he has argued that he can legally practice law in Mexico.

The fact that he can legally practice law in Mexico seems to have no bearing on this case whatsoever! Celis is arguing as if Texas is still a part of Mexico. Seems like he needs a reality check.

And, BTW, is Celis an alien? If so, his contibutions to the 'Rats are illegal!

Prit near. LOL

Actually not sure exactly where he lives.

It’s not about the evidence, it’s about the seriousness of the charges!

Oops! Wrong Party! Never mind! ;^)

The fact that he can legally practice law in Mexico

That really hasn't been established either.

Texas ping!

Please see my post # 55.

justiceseeker93:
The fact that he can legally practice law in Mexico

SouthTexas:
That really hasn't been established either.

Google finds an article in the Houston Chronicle on December 9, 2007 stating that Celis never graduated from law school in Mexico. Unfortunately that article isn't available for free on the internet any more. Perhaps someone who has a subscription to the Chronicle could post it on this thread.

Google News search for "celis practice mexico law school"

Mexican records show political donor hasn't finished law school
Houston Chronicle, United States - Dec 9, 2007 Defense lawyer Steve McConnico said Celis has not dropped out of law school. "Mr. Celis has been and is now authorized to practice law in Mexico," McConnico ...