Webb County Sheriff Martin Cuellar Jr. was indicted Thursday on five felony fraud charges for allegedly operating a private disinfecting business using county resources during the COVID-19 pandemic. The indictment comes four days after President Trump pardoned his brother, Democratic U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, in a separate federal bribery case.
The sheriff appeared in federal court in Texas and was released on bond. He has pleaded not guilty.
The charges center on a disinfecting business called Disinfect Pro Master that received a $500,000 contract from the Webb County school district, from which the sheriff allegedly made more than $175,000. Federal prosecutors say he directed the scheme while using county equipment and personnel without reimbursement.
Webb County Sheriff Martin Cuellar Jr., who has held the office since 2009, was indicted Thursday on three counts of defrauding a local government that receives federal funds, one count of conspiracy and one count of making a financial transaction involving “criminally derived property.” The indictment, issued in November and unsealed Thursday when he appeared in federal court, carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
According to federal prosecutors, the sheriff “deemed himself a silent partner” in a disinfecting business called Disinfect Pro Master, which operated from 2020 to 2022. The indictment alleges that Cuellar devised the scheme to run a for-profit business using resources from the county sheriff’s office — including supplies, vehicles, equipment and personnel — without reimbursing the county.
The business secured a $500,000 contract to disinfect buildings of the Webb County school district. The indictment states that Cuellar and two other men each made more than $175,000 from the venture, with the majority of profits coming from the school district contract. Prosecutors also allege that Cuellar used $71,000 in proceeds from the business to purchase a 10-acre property.
Eric Reed, the sheriff’s attorney, rejected the accusations. “They’re, we believe, based on some untrue assumptions and narratives that have been fueled perhaps by politics and local rivalries,” Reed said. He expressed concern about the timing of the charges. “My hope is that the decision to charge Sheriff Cuellar and the timing of the charges was not influenced by politics at any level,” Reed said.
The indictment’s timing is notable given recent developments involving the sheriff’s brother, Rep. Henry Cuellar. In December, President Trump pardoned the Democratic congressman and his wife, who had faced federal charges of accepting thousands of dollars in exchange for advancing the interests of a bank in Mexico and an Azerbaijan-controlled energy company. Both have maintained their innocence.
Four days after issuing the pardon, Trump posted criticism of Rep. Cuellar on Truth Social, accusing the congressman of showing “a lack of LOYALTY” because he did not switch political parties to run for reelection in 2026. Rep. Cuellar, a moderate Democrat, retained his House seat in 2024 despite Trump winning his district by 7 percentage points.
Martin Cuellar also ran for reelection as sheriff in 2024, facing no opposition. He was released on bond following his Thursday court appearance.