NUECES COUNTY, Texas —
Five more people have been arrested in connection with money taken from the Nueces County Social Services Department.
One of those arrested was an accounting assistant for the department. The other works as a court administrator at the Nueces County Courthouse.
KRIS 6 News has learned that former county employee Veronica Herrera Ayala and court administrator Sandra Herrera were arrested on Tuesday. Both are facing several charges, including theft of property and engaging in organized criminal activity.
Mireya Herrera Grimaldo, 25, Francisca Herrera Grimaldo, 67, Rachel Handy, 43 and Juan Hernandez, 41, have also been arrested. They, along with Luis Zamora, who has yet to be arrested, have been accused of taking between $2,500 and $30,000 from the county.
According to court documents, Veronica Herrera Ayala stole money while working as an accounting assistant with the county's Social Services Department.
The documents also state she entered false information on documents to help five of the defendants obtain benefits they were not eligible for.
The arrests come as a result of a criminal investigation into the Nueces County Social Services Department's use of federal COVID relief funds.
The Nueces County Commissioners Court eliminated that department in April 2024.
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