Former Harris County Deputy Sentenced to 8 Years for Bribery in Extortion Scheme Targeting Vietnamese Businesses

A former deputy with the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office, Bobby Joe Espinosa, 41, was sentenced to eight years in prison on Tuesday for bribery, following his conviction for extorting money from local Vietnamese businesses under the threat of arrest, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced.

“Too often we see our immigrant communities being taken advantage of because they believe dirty cops who claim that no one cares or that no one will believe them,” Ogg said. “Jurors have now shown that they are willing to convict cops who cross the line.”

Espinosa was found guilty by a jury after a five-day trial where several business owners testified that he had demanded payments from them in exchange for not arresting them. His extortion scheme began in September 2021, where he would regularly visit restaurants and cafes in uniform, demanding bribes. One business owner testified that Espinosa initially took $2,500 and then demanded $200 every Saturday from November 2021 until April 2022.

The case came to light when a victim confided in a friend, a Harris County sheriff’s deputy, who alerted authorities. During the trial, other business owners testified to similar extortion, including one incident where Espinosa stole a Movado watch, liquor, and emptied a cash register after locking employees out of a business.

Assistant District Attorney Vincent Tanzillo, who prosecuted the case, emphasized that Espinosa targeted older Vietnamese men, knowing they dealt in cash and were familiar with corruption in their home country. Tanzillo noted, “The worst part is that this defendant’s behavior affects Harris County as a whole because it erodes trust in law enforcement across the board.”

Espinosa will serve his prison sentence immediately and was also fined $10,000.