Facebook / Rey Feo LXX Ken Flores
Kenneth "Ken" Flores (right) waves to the crowd during his time as Rey Feo LXX.
U.S. District Judge Fred Biery sentenced Kenneth "Ken" Flores — a former Rey Feo — to four years in prison, while his brother Christopher Flores received a two-year prison sentence, according to federal officials. Their mother, Irma Flores, got five years' probation.
As part of the plea agreement, the trio also will pay $3.7 million in restitution, prosecutors said.
The three family members conspired with a pair of government employees to fix bids on Army housekeeping and janitorial contracts in the favor of their businesses, federal authorities said. The family operates San Antonio-based Allegiance Environmental Services and Helpful Hands Inc.
In exchange for the federal employees' help in eliminating competition on the contracts, the sentenced family members offered bribes and kickbacks, according to the government's allegations.
“The actions of these three family members — defrauding our institutions and corrupting the integrity of government contracts intended to support military facilities — were a betrayal of the public trust,” Jaime Esparza, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, said in written statement. “Our office remains committed to rooting out corruption and holding accountable those who seek to exploit government resources for personal gain.”
Federal prosecutors said the scheme drove up prices on military contracts and hurt taxpayers while helping the Flores family rake in millions.
“It is fitting that the sentences for these felons are handed down in Military City USA. Whether you’re from San Antonio or anywhere else in our country, defrauding our nation’s armed forces is a level of greed that shouldn’t be explored,” Lucy Chan, acting special agent in charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office said in a statement. “Today’s sentences underscore our unwavering commitment to partner with other law enforcement agencies to bring to justice those who engage in bribery and corrupt practices, regardless of their position or influence.”
Ken Flores was voted Rey Feo LXX as part of Fiesta San Antonio 2018. Those who assume the role of Rey Feo, often referred to as the “People’s King,” oversee an annual drive to raise scholarship funds.
Irma Flores also has ties to San Antonio's annual citywide party. In 2003, she became the first Hispanic woman to serve as president of the Fiesta San Antonio Commission, according to the Express-News.
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