Unraveling the Tangled Web of Corruption: A Shocking Exposé of Houston's Shady Water Contracts

In a stunning revelation, a city employee at the center of a major investigation has been arrested on multiple charges, including bribery and official abuse of capacity. The KPRC 2 'DRAINED' Investigation has uncovered a web of corruption within the City of Houston's water department, where taxpayer money was allegedly funneled into a sham charity and questionable contracts were awarded to the employee's associates.

Uncovering the Depths of Deception: A Shocking Exposé of Houston's Water Scandal

The Arrest and Indictment of Patrece Lee

Patrece Lee, a city employee in Houston, has been arrested on four counts of bribery and official abuse of capacity. This comes after a grand jury indicted her on a sixth charge of organized criminal activity. Lee, who was at the center of the KPRC 2 'DRAINED' Investigation, is now facing a 0,000 bond and is hoping to get out of jail if her attorney can convince a judge to lower the bond amount.

Taxpayer Money Funneled into a Sham Charity

Court records reveal that Patrece Lee used some of the money she received in kickbacks to set up a so-called charity called KB3 Charities. KPRC 2 Investigator Amy Davis has uncovered that this "charity" is actually a for-profit LLC, and there is no evidence of any tax documents being filed with the IRS, as is typical for legitimate non-profit organizations.

The Involvement of Patrece Lee's Associates

The investigation has uncovered a network of Patrece Lee's associates who were allegedly involved in the shady contracts and the sham charity. This includes her brother, Andrew Thomas, who claims he was on the board of KB3 Charities, and Danielle Hurts, who is accused of creating a fake alias to collect money from Patrece Lee's fraudulent consulting business.

The Questionable Contracts and Kickbacks

Court records show that Patrece Lee used an alias to collect money from both the city and city contractors for the same jobs. One of the contractors, Frank Perkins, told investigators that "Lee proposed to him that he pay 10% of any deal he gets with the City of Houston to her charity." Perkins received 9,000 from the city and paid ,000 to Lee and ,000 to Danielle Hurts.

The Involvement of City Employees

The investigation has also uncovered the involvement of other city employees, including Cesar Cordova, a senior inspector for the City of Houston. Cordova and his cousin, Joe Garcia, started a company called C and J Arsenal and received a city of Houston contract for more than million. While Garcia was billing the city for that contract, he was also collecting a paycheck for working as an inspector for yet another company.

The Ongoing Investigation and Implications

The KPRC 2 'DRAINED' Investigation has exposed a complex web of corruption within the City of Houston's water department. The arrests and indictments of Patrece Lee and her associates have raised serious questions about the integrity of the city's contracting processes and the use of taxpayer funds. As the investigation continues, it remains to be seen how deep the corruption runs and what the ultimate consequences will be for those involved.