The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles denied parole for Former Austin County Tax Assessor/Collector Marcus Peรฑa on January 7, 2019.
Peรฑa, 41 of Bellville, pled guilty to charges of stealing money from Austin County during his time as Tax Assessor/Collector.
ย Visiting District Judge Dwight Peschel sentenced Peรฑa to ten years in prison, concurrent, on March 8, 2018 for felony Theft and Misapplication of Fiduciary Funds.
Judge Peschel also ordered Peรฑa to pay $275,827.87 Restitution to Austin County as part of his convictions.
Peรฑa later filed a motion to be released from prison early on โshock probation.โย Judge Peschel denied the motion on August 27, 2018, and Peรฑa was returned to prison.
Peรฑa became eligible for parole in January of 2019.ย The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles denied Peรฑaโs parole and cited 3 reasons.
โThe record indicates that the offender has repeatedly committed criminal episodes that indicate a predisposition to commit criminal acts upon release.โ
โThe record indicates that length of time served by the offender is not congruent with offense severity and criminal history.โย
The Board of Pardons and Paroles also cited a third category, โOther,โ which means parole was also denied for reasons that are not specified.
The Boardโs actions can be viewed on-line HEREย
Peรฑaโs next parole review is set for January 2020.
