Affidavit Reveals Ex-Sheriff's Employee in Uniform Promised Visas for Cash

A Former Sheriff’s Office Employee Allegedly Scammed a Family Using a Fake Identity

A former civilian employee of the Webb County Sheriff’s Office is accused of defrauding a family out of tens of thousands of dollars by posing as an official and offering false immigration services. According to court documents, the suspect, Lorenzo Reyna Jr., 72, wore a sheriff’s uniform and claimed to have access to a "police car" while conducting his scheme.

The allegations began when a male complainant and his wife approached a sheriff’s office captain with a fraud report against an employee. During the interview, they identified the individual as Reyna. The couple had met him earlier in October when he arrived at their home to take measurements for a carport. At that time, Reyna was wearing a sheriff’s uniform, according to the affidavit.

The complainant paid $500 as a deposit for the carport project. However, the relationship quickly shifted from a business transaction to something more sinister. About two to three weeks later, the complainant visited Reyna at what he believed to be the sheriff’s office located on Texas 359. There, Reyna asked if the complainant was in the country legally. When the complainant confirmed he was a U.S. citizen, Reyna claimed to work with the courts on visa matters.

False Promises and Financial Exploitation

Reyna then offered to help the complainant’s wife with her sister and niece’s immigration process. He asked for the necessary documents and promised to show them to an attorney at the sheriff’s office who handled immigration cases. This led the couple to believe that Reyna had some level of authority within the department.

As the scam progressed, Reyna convinced the couple to pay him $5,200 for “expenses” related to the immigration process. He also claimed he could apply for one-year work permits for $4,000 each. He told the complainant that these permits would allow individuals to obtain social security numbers and driver’s licenses in any state.

The complainant eventually reached out to a friend in Wisconsin, who agreed to send money for the visas. The friend deposited $15,000 into Reyna’s Wells Fargo account, with $10,000 designated for the complainant and $5,000 for Reyna to handle the work visas.

Escalating Deception

In May, the complainant contacted Reyna about the status of his friend’s visa. Reyna claimed there was a $3,000 penalty due to the friend’s criminal record and advised the friend’s wife to apply for a visa as well. The friend sent another $12,000 to Reyna’s account, with $7,000 going to Reyna and $5,000 to the complainant.

On July 30, Reyna visited the complainant’s house to update him on the visa status. He claimed to have traveled to Austin and Dallas to check on the process and said the delay was due to complications. He then mentioned that he had bumped into an immigration officer in Houston who could expedite the process but required $2,000 per visa.

Suspicion and Confession

The complainant became suspicious and suggested going with Reyna to pay the officer in person. At this point, the complainant informed Reyna that his family was considering suing him. Reyna allegedly responded that they couldn’t sue because they were “illegals,” and he was a “federal officer.” He claimed the money sent to him was for the complainant and not for himself, saying there was no proof it was related to immigration.

According to court documents, the complainant had given Reyna a total of $23,000. In response, Reyna offered to repay the money in monthly installments of $1,000 over three years. However, he admitted that there would be no actual visas issued.

On August 11, a sheriff’s office captain interviewed Reyna at the station. After being read his Miranda rights, Reyna confessed to the fraud. When asked about his motive, he said he had “too many bills to pay.”

Authorities later reviewed Reyna’s bank transactions and found evidence of the payments. During the interview, Reyna admitted he knew he couldn’t deliver the visas and acknowledged receiving a total of $13,000 for the immigration process. Despite his claims of not recalling wearing a uniform, he did admit to possibly doing so on one occasion.