CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — Attorneys for a woman facing sex trafficking charges say the prosecution against their client is "built on omissions, bias, and a tainted investigation" after revelations that the tipster who sparked the case had a sexual relationship with the defendant.
In a statement issued Friday, defense attorneys for Amanda Talbert said "critical facts about this case were hidden" for years, including that the investigation began with a tip from a high-ranking Texas Department of Public Safety official who had a prior sexual relationship with their client.
"This case did not begin with evidence — it began with a personal grievance that was concealed," wrote attorneys Gary A. Bower and Mark Gonzalez. "Our client maintains her innocence and will continue to challenge a prosecution built on omissions, bias, and a tainted investigation."
The statement comes one day after a revelation in court that Vincent T. Luciano II, Regional Director for the Central Texas Region of DPS, was the person who alerted the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission to investigate Talbert and co-defendant Noraier George Manassian.
According to defense attorneys, Luciano had a sexual relationship with Talbert, and money was exchanged between them.
In Nov. 2024, the Texas Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) opened an investigation into the allegation that DPS Region Chief Vincent Luciano had provided money to Amanda Talbert for sex. No evidence was found, and RC Luciano was cleared. The investigation was closed in Dec. 2024, and RC Luciano remains on active duty as Region Chief of the Central Texas Region.
What happened in court Thursday
During Thursday's hearing, a TABC investigator—whose face was ordered not to be shown by the judge, whose voice was ordered altered, and whose name cannot be used—testified that he received the tip from Luciano, who was a friend. The investigator acknowledged that he later learned of Luciano's sexual relationship with Talbert.
According to the investigator's testimony, when he discovered Luciano's relationship with the defendant, he turned the information over to DPS internal affairs and did not pursue it further, citing the friendship between himself and Luciano.
In a final report, Luciano was labeled as an "unwitting witness." However, the TABC investigator testified Thursday that Luciano was never interviewed in relation to the case.
"I believe it wasn't until about a year and a half into the case that we found out who the tipster was for the entire case, and that information came out today, and the tipster for this entire case was a DPS agent," said Lisa Greenberg, one of Manassian's defense attorneys. "The DPS agent was close friends with the TABC agent, tipped him off to this case, but never disclosed to us that that tipster, that DPS agent, that supervisor for DPS, was having a sexual relationship with the defendant, Amanda Talbert, had a long-term relationship. There was money exchanged."
Talbert, 46, faces a total of six charges: two counts of indecency with a child with sexual assault and four counts of continuous trafficking of persons. Manassian, 80, faces eight charges including five counts of sexual assault of a child, one count of sex trafficking of a child, one count of online solicitation of a minor, and one count of solicitation or prostitution of a person under 18 years of age. Both defendants have pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Those cases are being prosecuted by the Office of the Attorney General.
Defense claims misconduct
In their Friday statement, Talbert's attorneys say the lead investigator admitted the case began with a tip from Luciano, his close personal friend, but "chose to investigate this case for his friend without revealing how the case began, and left that fact out for over four years and failed to disclose the prior sexual relationship as a motive for going after Ms. Talbert."
The attorneys claim this information "was also withheld from prosecutors, putting the State in an untenable position and compounding prejudice against our client."
"The lead TABC agent testified that he chose not to document numerous interviews or communications and did what he wanted, despite laws mandating otherwise," the statement says. "The obvious question is: what else was hidden or left out?"
Defense attorneys say Luciano is a material witness who participated in the investigation, but the state never disclosed his relationship with Talbert or interviewed him about his involvement.
"If he is the person that tipped off the entire case and they don't give us an interview with him, they don't show his bias, his motivation in starting this case, it changes everything for the defense and it's like hiding, you know, this very, very important piece of information," Greenberg said Thursday.
Defense attorney Terry Shamsie said they only learned about Luciano's role after forcing disclosure through pretrial motions filed by Greenberg.
"Well, I think he's a material witness and a material witness that has also participated in the investigation of the case, and they knew that and they haven't disclosed it and it's been 5 years since they knew it and they're forced to disclose it," Shamsie said.
Who is Vincent T. Luciano II?
Luciano is a high-ranking official within the Texas Department of Public Safety. According to DPS records, he was promoted to Regional Director of the Central Texas Region in September 2022, a position based in San Antonio, where he oversees all DPS operations, including personnel, for the region.
Luciano began his career with DPS in 1995 and has nearly 30 years of service with the agency. He served as a Texas Highway Patrol Trooper from 1996 to 1998, and a Criminal Law Enforcement Trooper from 1998 to 2000. He was then promoted to sergeant in DPS Narcotics in Lubbock before being promoted to lieutenant in 2007 in Corpus Christi. He was promoted to Criminal Investigations Division lieutenant, then captain, and in 2018 promoted to major. Most recently, he served as the major of the Criminal Investigations Division in the North Texas Region.
Prior to his career with DPS, Luciano served two years with the Nueces County Sheriff's Office.
DPS has not responded
KRIS 6 News reached out to the Texas Department of Public Safety on Thursday for comment on the status of any internal investigation into Luciano and his involvement in this case.
In a statement, DPS told KRIS 6 News that the DPS's Office of Inspector General opened an investigation into an allegation that Luciano had provided money to Talbert for sex in November 2024.
According to that statement, no evidence was found and Luciano was cleared, with the investigation closed in December of 2024.
6 Investigates has also filed a public information request with DPS seeking records related to any disciplinary actions against Luciano, as well as agency policies regarding employee conflicts of interest and requirements for employees to disclose personal relationships with subjects of criminal investigations.
"We hope the public, who keeps the justice system and law enforcement in check, will see the truth about the case," Talbert's attorneys wrote. "No Texan — no American — should ever have to face the full power of government while law enforcement hides critical facts that could decide their freedom."
