From the Nogales International:
Nogales Mayor Octavio Garcia-Von Borstel was arrested Tuesday on charges of bribery, theft, fraud and money laundering.The mayor’s father, Octavio Suarez Garcia, 59, of Nogales, also arrested during the Tuesday morning operation that involved agents from the FBI, DEA and Arizona Department of Public Safety. He faces several charges that include fraud, theft and money laundering, according to a statement from the Arizona Attorney General's Office.
City Manager Shane Dille said FBI agents led Garcia-Von Borstel, 29, from City Hall in handcuffs at approximately 9:20 a.m. Search warrants were executed at his City Hall office, home and Terrace Avenue produce business, Quality Fresh Produce and Seeds.
“These charges are serious violations of the law,” Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard said in a statement. “Because some charges involve the official actions of an elected official, they violate the public trust. Both the mayor and his father will be held accountable and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
According to a news release from Goddard's office, the FBI began investigating Garcia-Von Borstel five months ago and determined that he was soliciting Nogales businesses to hire him as a business consultant as early as February 2009. At least one business allegedly admitted to the FBI that it was paying the mayor to use his official position to obtain business contracts and, specifically, to obtain new City of Nogales contracts, circumventing either open bidding or proper application processes.
