A trial has been set for 31-year-old Feliz Hernandez, a school board member in Progreso, Texas who is allegedly caught with 1,254 pounds of marijuana in his car.
Hernandez, who is facing a second-degree felony drug smuggling charge, will stand trial on December 1, according to The Monitor.
In early April, Hernandez was pulled over for a traffic violation by a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper. The marijuana was subsequently discovered in the vehicle.
A spokesperson from the Progreso Independent School District, who requested anonymity, previously told Breitbart Texas that Hernandez will likely be removed from the school board if he is found guilty of a felony. At this time, however, the 31-year-old reportedly remains on the board. The source added that Hernandez has been on the school board for six to eight years.
Background checks are not required for school board members, the source also said. Members are voted in by the general public. The Monitor reported that Hernandez’s election filing form described him as being self-employed.
Hernandez was released from jail earlier this year on $1.25 million bond. If found guilty, the school board member faces up to 20 years in prison and a hefty fine.
Over the last year, a slew of controversial arrests have plagued Progreso.
Breitbart Texas reported in April that the town’s mayor, 36-year-old Omar Leonel Vela, admitted to accepting more than $300,000 in bribes. His brother Michael Vela, President of the Progreso Independent School District (PISD), was also involved in the case. According to court documents, for over a decade contractors competing for jobs at PISD were forced to pay the Velas a fee. The companies were then compensated to provide various services for PISD with a portion of the district’s $1 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Education.
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