MONTGOMERY COUNTY, TX- Constable Philip Cash in conjunction with Montgomery County District Attorney Brett Ligon, is pleased to announce that the individuals responsible for misappropriating Montgomery County Food Bank donations to the Willis Independent School District Parent Support Center have been brought to justice. This result would not have been possible without the support and cooperation of our community partners, the Montgomery County Food Bank and Crime Stoppers.
On August 12, 2020, the Montgomery County Precinct One Constable’s Office received a Crime Stoppers tip regarding suspicious activity at the Parent Support Center at Roark Early Education Center. Following a lengthy investigation, our office filed charges with the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office against three individuals: Teresa Joyce Herod, 75, Christopher Paul Walker, 44, and Samuel Anthony Saldana, 52.
Investigators uncovered that during a seven-month period from May 2020 through September 2020, approximately 231,000 pounds of food and household items were ordered by the defendants Herod and Walker in connection with their employment at the Parent Support Center. Herod and Walker then sold the items to Saldana for their own economic benefit.
To make matters worse, these thefts occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic when many in our community were out of work, making food and other resources scarce. Herod has been convicted of the felony offense of theft, remains under court supervision, and must pay restitution to the Montgomery County Food Bank. Saldana has also been convicted of the felony offense of theft, remains under court supervision, and is likewise paying restitution.
On November 27, 2023, the final co-defendant, Christopher Paul Walker, pleaded guilty to the offense of theft in exchange for a sentence of 12 years in prison. Constable Cash would like to thank the Montgomery County Food Bank, Crime Stoppers, and the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office for “their assistance in prosecuting these people who exploited the generosity of our community in the middle of the COVID epidemic.”
Teresa Joyce Herod
Samuel Anthony Saldana
Christopher Paul Walker
