Travis County DA: ‘Insufficient evidence' to charge Austin ISD executive for tampering
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Travis County prosecutors say there is insufficient evidence to charge a long-time Austin Independent School District executive with tampering with government records.
In a court record filed on Wednesday, the Travis County District Attorney's Office stated that it would not file charges.
In February, Austin Independent School District investigators accused Amie Ortiz, 40, of deleting information police requested while she was working as the district's director of talent strategy. Ortiz has been an AISD employee for over 17 years, serving in both teaching and executive roles.
She has been on administrative leave from the district since September 2024. Ortiz's attorney, Brian Roark, stated Ortiz was not aware she was the target of any investigation.
Austin ISD executive charged with tampering with government records
The charge Ortiz faced stemmed from an investigation into a different employee who was suspected of stealing thousands of dollars worth of gift cards.
According to investigators, Ortiz reported that more than $65,000 worth of district gift cards owned by the school district were missing. She also reported issues with misuse of the cards and lack of documentation.
The gift cards were purchased and issued through AISD's insurance carrier as a part of the district's employee wellness program, according to district officials and an affidavit.
Ortiz had created an internal tracking system on Google Sheets for the gift cards, which documented the gift card vendor, amount, quantity, the recipient of the card, the reason for releasing the card, and the date of release. According to investigators, multiple people could access the log.
Former Austin ISD official accused of theft, using district gift cards for personal buys
But later, investigators accused Ortiz of 'intentionally manipulating' that log. Detectives alleged that the day after they responded to the theft report, Ortiz deleted a portion of the gift card log totaling more than $36,250 and altered the initials next to several entries.
The log included an inventory from a January 2024 bulk order of $135,000 worth of gift cards, as well as inventory from another set of gift cards found in a storage cabinet over the summer, totaling $36,250, according to the affidavit.
Ortiz's attorney stated that Ortiz made the changes because she believed the detectives wanted her to provide an accurate account of the gift cards from the January 2024 bulk order of gift cards.
Ortiz's attorney said she was under the impression that the gift cards found in the storage cabinet were not part of the January bulk order and 'had already been given to campuses for staff wellness' over the summer.
Former Austin ISD executive accused of stealing thousands from district
Ortiz's attorney also said that at some point, the safe containing the gift cards was moved to a different person's office, and Ortiz changed the initials to indicate that the inventory entries were made when the safe was in another person's office.
'Every action she took, statement made, and document she provided was accurate and true to the extent of her knowledge and understanding at that time. She never intentionally provided any false information,' Roark said.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
a day ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
S.F. activists fought for affordable housing in the Mission. Now they're pumping the brakes
For years, activists in San Francisco's Mission District fiercely fought a plan to build hundreds of market-rate apartments at a high-profile site at 16th and Mission Street, dubbing it 'the Monster in the Mission' and arguing it would further gentrify the neighborhood. They lobbied for affordable housing on the site and won in 2022, when the city of San Francisco designated the land for affordable development. But some of the same community organizations that fought for affordable homes are now pushing back against the very project they advocated for. The city has chosen nonprofits Mission Housing and Mission Economic Development Agency to develop over 380 affordable homes at 1979 Mission St. — a project now called the 'Marvel in the Mission.' Two neighborhood-based organizations — People Organizing to Demand Environmental and Economic Rights, or PODER, and Homies Organizing the Mission to Empower Youth, or HOMEY — help lead the Plaza 16 Coalition, an advocacy network first formed to oppose the original market-rate project proposed by developer Maximus Real Estate Partners in 2013. But while they continue to say that the Mission District needs affordable housing development, advocates with PODER and HOMEY also argue that the project's developers have disregarded feedback and ignored questions during community engagement meetings. Now, the organizations are backing concerns raised by parents at nearby Marshall Elementary School, who fear that the project will limit parking options, cast shadows onto the school playground and produce noise and air pollution during construction. The conflict underscores how community groups are still trying to influence development in San Francisco, even as state laws severely limit their ability to delay or halt new homes. It comes as the Mission is starting to see an influx of new subsidized units. Cristina Ortiz, a Marshall parent who advocated against the original market-rate development, told the Chronicle she's worried that street conditions and neighborhood safety will get worse when the project's first phase with 136 permanent supportive housing units for homeless people opens. Ortiz said in Spanish that the neighborhood is already struggling with drugs and homelessness, and she's concerned that the first phase for homeless people could include those with addiction problems. Neighborhoods generally do not see an increase in crime or other related challenges after supportive housing for the homeless opens in the area, but 'a lot of it hinges on the implementation,' said Ryan Finnigan, deputy director of research at U.C. Berkeley's Terner Center for Housing Innovation. Finnigan explained that many projects have rapid crisis response systems to help prevent sites from becoming magnets for disturbances. Design features like community spaces allow residents to interact with neighbors, build support networks and reduce conflict, he added. The first phase includes plans for a clinic providing mental health resources to residents, as well as on-site case management, said project spokesperson Chirag Bhakta, the director of community engagement at Mission Housing. 'We believe that housing with support services on-site is one of a myriad of solutions that we need to address the crisis on the streets and our overall housing crisis,' Bhakta said. 'No one likes to see what the current reality is on the streets of San Francisco, particularly on the 16th Street corridor. These are layered and complex issues that one housing development is not going to be able to solve.' Plaza 16 and other community members raised concerns with the developers about the height of the second phase of the project, a 16-story building with 134 units of affordable family housing. They worry it would reduce sunlight, change the landscape of the neighborhood and set a precedent allowing for luxury high-rise development in the Mission, where the tallest building is roughly 10 stories. But housing advocates say that the need for affordable homes is so acute that worries about changes to how a neighborhood looks should be secondary. 'When a 100% affordable housing project comes into the picture, this is the time to say yes,' said Brianna Morales, the community organizer at Housing Action Coalition. Still, these community concerns seem unlikely to stall the progress of the development: The city planning commission has already approved Phase 1 of the project, which is slated to break ground in December. Community meetings are likely not required for the project's three phases to gain approval thanks to changes in state law meant to speed up housing approvals, planning department spokesperson Anne Yalon. Despite that, the developers have held three community meetings on the project so far. Previously projects could get caught up in years of community meetings and fights, dragging out timeliness and raising costs, which are already high. Since 2017, lawmakers have passed a variety of state policies that have streamlined approvals and limited appeals. The most recent legislation comes amid a state mandate requiring San Francisco to approve 82,000 housing units by 2031 — 46,000 of which must be affordable. 'The vast majority of San Francisco's affordable housing projects now pursue permit streamlining and the State Density Bonus Program,' Yalon explained. 'These tools offer faster, more predictable approvals, saving time and providing developers with much-needed certainty. Prior to these reforms, virtually all affordable projects were subject to discretionary review, creating delays and unpredictability.' But this streamlined system often means less community input. In late May, the San Francisco Planning Commission approved the construction of a contentious 181-unit apartment complex at 2588 Mission St., the site of a 2015 fire that killed a tenant, injured six others and displaced 60 tenants and over two dozen businesses. Project opponents, who call the proposal the 'la Muerte de la Misíon,' have argued how the complex — which plans to offer below-market rents for less than 10% of its units — will deepen income disparities and perpetuate gentrification in the neighborhood. Both projects are marks of a changing housing landscape that some advocates say is reliant on developers to voluntarily engage with the community for input. MEDA and Mission Housing organized a focus group in 2024, a general community information meeting in January of this year and two community engagement meetings in May and June, according to Bhakta. At the two latest meetings, attendees overwhelmingly approved in a nonbinding vote maximizing the number of units on site, which meant keeping the 16-story building. HOMEY Executive Director Roberto Alfaro explained that he felt the voting process was 'disingenuous,' claiming that MEDA and Mission Housing primarily invited community members who they knew would support the project as-is. Bhakta said that MEDA and Mission Housing promoted the events to their own lists and community members on the street, alongside other outreach methods. Plaza 16 has raised a dozen demands to the developers, including to reduce the project height and to give Plaza more input at regular meetings — exactly the types of requests that state streamlining laws are trying to get away from. None of these demands have resulted in changes to the developments, said PODER organizer Reina Tello, who added that during community engagement meetings — and in follow-up conversations — developers have left many neighbors' questions unanswered. Several questions asked by community members did not relate to the size of the project, while others are part of ongoing discussions, Bhakta said. He noted that the development team plans to host future community meetings regarding the design of the project's second and third phase, while also continuing to meet with administrators, staff and parents at Marshall. Representatives of the team have also scheduled a meeting with the Plaza 16 coalition for further discussion, Bhakta added. But for Tello, the 'only path forward' and the 'only way to do any repair' is to pause the project, and not to move forward until community organizations can review everything. 'They've already held four community meetings,' Tello said, but 'what is the point of meeting if there is no substance to the meeting? What is the point of meeting if there are no results?' Jane Natoli, the San Francisco organizing director at YIMBY Action, argues that 'there's a difference between the community being able to provide feedback and input, and the community having the final say.' (The executive director of YIMBY Action is married to the executive director of Mission Housing.) For Bhakta, this project is a result of years of advocacy for affordable housing in the Mission. 'The Mission District has led the demands for affordable housing over the past few decades. We have faced the brunt of gentrification and displacement,' Bhakta noted. 'As part of that tradition, MEDA and Mission Housing, the neighborhood's two affordable housing developers, are doing what we can to meet the need.'
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Abilene man gets 195 years for trafficking teen to multiple men
ABILENE, Texas () – An Abilene man has been sentenced to 195 years in prison after being found guilty of trafficking a runaway teenager to multiple men. Six suspects indicted in connection to sex trafficking of runaway teen in Abilene Juan Ortiz was arrested in October 2023 and charged with Trafficking of a Child. According to court documents, Ortiz picked up the teen in August 2023 and took her to a motel on South 1st Street, where he provided her with drugs and alcohol, before soliciting multiple male suspects to pay him to have sex with the teen while he filmed it. Report: Two Abilene men involved in sex trafficking of runaway teen Ortiz stood trial in the 104th District Court, where a jury found him guilty on all counts: Trafficking of a Child, Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child, and two counts of Sexual Assault of a Child. He was sentenced to 80 years for trafficking, 75 years for aggravated sexual assault, and 20 years for each count of sexual assault. These sentences are to be served consecutively, resulting in a total of 195 years behind bars. Ortiz was also fined $20,000. APD Youth Detective Clint Coapland, who helped secure the arrest of Ortiz several months ago, says, 'The jury's decision to impose a 195-year sentence on the defendant sends an unmistakable message: crimes against children will be met with the full force of justice. This sentence is not just a punishment, it is a powerful stand in defense of the most vulnerable members of our society.' UPDATE: Abilene man accused of sex trafficking runaway teen to at least 4 predators Five other men were also arrested in connection with the case: Derrick Bernard Harden Jr., Cristian Gomez, Rony Pineda-Zuniga, Immanuel Dan Brown and Darlin Zuniga. Three of the suspects — Gomez, Pineda-Zuniga, and Zuniga — were found guilty of Solicitation of Prostitution. All sexual assault charges against them were waived, and they were each sentenced to two years in jail. Harden and Brown are the only remaining suspects whose trial is still pending. Harden's court date is currently set for September 2025, and Brown's is set for August 2025. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Boston Globe
13-06-2025
- Boston Globe
Blue Hill Avenue redesign in Mattapan draws ire from area residents
Discussions about upgrading Blue Hill Avenue have been going on since at least 2006. Today, the busy corridor, which commuters from Mattapan and surrounding areas use to travel north to the South End, sees Jascher Franklin-Hodge, chief of streets for the city of Boston, said the latest plan for Blue Hill Avenue would retain 90 percent of the existing parking spots. Advertisement Mattapan residents are concerned that city and state officials are not listening to them when they discussed the impact the project would have on parking, driving and pedestrian access in the neighborhood. Three city councilors, Julia Mejia, Tania Fernandes Anderson and Brian Worrell, called Tuesday's community meeting in response to citizen concerns. Advertisement Commuters, people running errands, and parents driving to child care pickups were concerned that the proposal would make their trips longer. State Rep. Russell Holmes, and citizens who spoke in favor of the center bus lane, were heckled by audience members on their view that the project would make the street safer for cyclists and some pedestrians. Residents were also concerned the project would make it harder for seniors and those with disabilities to board buses because they would have to cross traffic to get to the middle lane. 'I have a cane as a result of surviving three strokes,' said Sharon Hinton, a council candidate running in District 5, where the project is partially located. 'There is no way that something like me or someone in a wheelchair or an elder … is going to make it into the middle of the street.' In addition to low community buy-in, the project also faces uncertainty related to funding. Around $44 million — a mix of local, state and federal funding — has been allocated to the project, which At Tuesday's meeting, city officials, and residents, agreed that the project could cost a lot more. Franklin-Hodge, the city's chief of streets, agreed with Ali-Salaam of the Greater Mattapan Neighborhood Council, who said the project needs around $100 million in total. Franklin-Hodge said the city and the MBTA jointly applied for Small Starts, a Advertisement 'Although we expect the project to be scored very highly in the review of that grant, the change in presidential administrations means that there is a great deal of uncertainty about any future federal funding,' Franklin-Hodge said. Vivian Ortiz, a car-free Mattapan resident who bikes and rides transit, and who leads bike rides for young people at the Mattahunt Community Center, spoke in support of the plan. 'I was really terrified of biking on Cummins highway and Blue Hill Avenue … I wasn't able to come up with a route where I felt comfortable having the young people ride with me,' Ortiz said. Katie Calandriello, interim executive director of Transit Matters, a public transportation advocacy group, who spoke on a panel with Ortiz at Tuesday's meeting, talked about how the project would benefit riders that use 10 bus routes, including the much-used route 28. 'The Blue Hill Avenue project area encompasses a majority of our system's worst performing buses. The completion of this redesign can make these buses better,' Calandriello said, 'the time savings are predicted to be between 12 and 15 minutes.' Calandriello said the project would also help address 'bus bunching' — when delayed buses come one after another instead of on schedule, making bus headways unpredictable and unreliable. The concept of a center bus lane being proposed for Blue Hill Avenue has already debuted in Jamaica Plain starting October 2021 where a 0.7 mile section of Advertisement Denise O'Marde, owner of Cafe Juice Up, said she was worried that the proposed center bus lane and the current lack of parking enforcement would make it hard for her customers to drive to her business. Rather than focusing on transit solutions, she wanted city leaders to address double parking in Mattapan and reduce the maximum limits for street parking spots along Blue Hill Avenue to 15-minute spots to discourage long-term parking on the street. 'What will the impact control strategy be for small businesses in this plan' O'Marde said, 'and the potential loss of revenue that small businesses will realize because of the potential redesign?' Angela Mathew can be reached at
