In San Antonio today, 24-year-old Brennan R. Diaz was sentenced to a total of 56 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release for scheming with his mother to steal over $1 million from a local church owned by his grandfather, announced United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr., U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Lee Dotson, and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge William Cotter.
United States District Judge Xavier Rodriguez also ordered that Diaz pay $985,346.06 in restitution. The
restitution figure does not include seized assets valued at more than $100,000 which were returned to the
victim.
On Sept. 20, 2016, Diaz pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft
and one count of money laundering. His mother, Deborah A. Diaz, pleaded guilty on June 30, 2016, to one
count of bank fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
By pleading guilty, both defendants admitted that between February 2015 and October 2015, they conspired to
defraud the La Obra Milagrosa Church (aka The Miracle Center Church) (TMC). Neither defendant had
authority to sign TMC Church checks, however, they forged the family members signature on dozens of TMC
business checks.
Deborah Diaz, who is currently on bond, is scheduled to be sentenced at 1:30pm on Jan. 11, 2017.
This joint investigation was conducted by the Financial Crimes Section of the U.S. Secret Service South Texas
Regional Task Force and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. Other agencies involved in the
Task Force include the San Antonio Police Department, Bexar County Sheriffs Office, Bexar County District
Attorneys Office and Texas Department of Public Safety-Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant United
States Attorney Thomas P. Moore is prosecuting this case on behalf of the Government.
--DOJ Western District of Texas
Source: U.S. Secret Service