Former Texas deputy accused of stealing thousands of dollars from Vietnamese businesses

A former Texas police deputy has been arrested after allegedly stealing thousands of dollars from various Vietnamese businesses while wearing a uniform, court documents show.

Bobby Joe Espinosa, former deputy sheriff for Harris County District 4, charged with theft, allegedly targeting businesses run by Vietnamese owners from September 1, 2021, through March this year, according to a complaint filed in Harris District Court.

Espinosa, 39, will allegedly walk into businesses in uniform, kick patrons and force drawers open for money, a cause that could lead to further detentions in the states. According to the document, he would also open the doors of offices and pry open slot machines for money.

The complaint says the amount taken was between $2,500 and less than $30,000. NBC’s KPRC Branch in Houston Espinosa reportedly pocketed $5,700 during the raids.

He was arrested Friday and released Sunday in the amount of $30,000, according to court documents.

He has been an officer at Area 4 for more than seven years, KPRC reported. A spokesman for the precinct told NBC News he was fired on the day of his arrest.

“Every single one of us wearing this uniform wants to maintain pride in our agency and profession, and we can only do that by fully investigating any allegations of wrongdoing.” Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman said in a statement.

“These charges against former deputy Bobby Espinosa make no difference and are receiving the full attention of my office in coordination with the Harris County Sheriff’s office,” he continued.

NBC News has reached out to the sheriff’s office, which is investigating the incident, for comment.

Espinosa’s attorney could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.

at Blogtuan.info – Source: nbcnews.com – Read the original article here