REFUGIO COUNTY, Texas —
Editor's Note: This article has been updated to include details from indictments obtained by KRIS 6 News.
Five current and former Refugio town officials face felony charges after a Refugio County grand jury returned indictments this week following a Texas Rangers investigation.
Mayor Wanda Huff Dukes and Town Secretary Callie Gray Shreckengost turned themselves in at the Refugio County Jail on Wednesday and were later released. Both are charged with misapplication of fiduciary property, a first-degree felony. Bond for each was set at $25,000.
The indictments accuse both officials of misusing funds from the Refugio Economic Development Corporation between Oct. 3, 2023, and Oct. 29, 2025. According to the charging documents, Dukes exercised control over EDC funds as mayor, while Shreckengost had authority to authorize and sign disbursements as town secretary.
The indictments list 19 transactions totaling more than $1 million that the state says were misapplied, including payments for windstorm insurance, garbage collection, water main maintenance, audit services, a police department holiday event and Fourth of July festivals.
Mayor Pro Tem Ixtlazihuatl "Lala" Vasquez and former council members Michael Rocha and Frank Hosey turned themselves in at the Refugio County Jail on Thursday. All three are charged with abuse of official capacity, a third-degree felony.
The indictments obtained by KRIS 6 News show all three alderpeople are accused of the same act. On Oct. 27, 2025, Vasquez, Rocha and Hosey voted to use Refugio Economic Development Corporation money to pay for the town's windstorm and terrorism insurance. The grand jury says state law — specifically Chapter 505 of the Texas Local Government Code — does not authorize that expenditure, and that all three knew it. Bond for each was set at $25,000.
The alderpeople's charges are narrower than those facing Dukes and Shreckengost. While the mayor and town secretary are accused of a pattern of misuse spanning 19 transactions over two years, the three council members are accused of a single vote.
Rocha and Hosey lost their council seats in the May election.
Town Attorney Thomas Gwosdz told KRIS 6 News the town is aware of the indictments and is working to protect public resources.
"We want to make it clear that the city believes in the principle of innocent until proven guilty and that we're not drawing any conclusions about the indictments that were delivered today," Gwosdz said.
Gwosdz said the town has called a special meeting for Tuesday to take steps to preserve town resources.
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