Son of Tejano legend told woman he could erase her criminal record in exchange for night at hotel, records show

Records confirm Leonardo G. Jimenez does not work as an investigator with the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office, despite claim

SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio woman said she had sex with a man claiming to be an investigator with the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office after he promised to use his position to expunge her criminal record and get a current felony charge against her tossed out.

The woman, who asked that we conceal her identity and instead refer to her as “Deborah,” said she met Leonardo G. Jimenez at a bar late last year.

He is the son of legendary Tejano performer Flaco Jimenez. He is not, however, an employee of the DA’s office, an agency spokeswoman and Texas Commission on Law Enforcement records both confirm.

Leonardo G. Jimenez (left) and Flaco Jimenez (right) during a KSAT food segment in January 2021. (KSAT)

“I thought it was a genuine encounter. I didn’t know it was like a setup. It was a total betrayal,” said Deborah, whose past criminal history remained on her record with the current charge still pending after she said she had sex with Leonardo G. Jimenez at a Northwest Side hotel late last year.

“He said he worked for the district attorney’s office. In Bexar County. He did say that he worked under Joe Gonzales,” said Deborah during an interview with KSAT.

Warning: Graphic content below

Deborah reported Jimenez to San Antonio police last month. An SAPD official last week confirmed the agency has opened an investigation into whether Jimenez impersonated a public servant and unlawfully transmitted explicit visual material to Deborah using his phone.

SAPD officials have declined to release additional details from the investigation.

Unlawful transmission of explicit visual material is a Class C misdemeanor while impersonating a public servant is a third-degree felony.

Jimenez, at last check, has not been charged with either criminal offense.

Among the hundreds of text messages viewed by KSAT that were exchanged between the woman and Jimenez were two photos Jimenez sent her of his penis.

After sending her one of the photos, Jimenez texted her, “Got it?? Now you lol,” text records show.

Deborah told KSAT Jimenez sent her the explicit photos of himself without her permission and that it “shocked her.”

“Ok and about your problem don’t say anything that I’m looking into it ..no one knows where I work,” said Jimenez in a separate text message on Dec. 20.

After the woman texted Jimenez on Dec. 29 that she wanted her record expunged so that she could go to nursing school, Jimenez texted back “Ok you got stay with Mre (sic) though lol,” and then wrote, “You down?”

After Jimenez wrote “Hotel,” the woman asked via text for how long. Jimenez responded “One hour,” “Lol,” “Or the whole night lol.”

The woman responded, “So tomorrow we work on getting my record expunged? Lol what about my other case,” “Are you sure you can do it?”

Jimenez responded, “Everything,” “Slow process,” “But I can do it,” “I can go pick you up.”

Jimenez repeatedly texted the woman that he was working on getting her record expunged. (KSAT)

Jimenez also texted her that he would show her off.

“Flaco Jimenez daughter lol,” “Well daughter and (sic) law,” wrote Jimenez in separate messages to the woman.

Jimenez wrote that he had a tough time finding a hotel since it was the week of New Year’s.

He eventually texted the woman that he booked a room at “Quality inn and suites sea world” across from a nearby movie theater.

The woman told KSAT she had sex with Jimenez at the hotel shortly after the messages were exchanged.

Jimenez, according to text message records, then began to respond to her infrequently, at various points writing that his phone was broken and that he was out of town for a family funeral.

Not eligible for expunction

Expunction, the process of a person having his or her arrest, charge or conviction removed from his or her permanent records, is available in only limited circumstances in Texas.

Deborah’s criminal record, which includes no contest pleas in Bexar County to aggravated assault and interference with child custody, in all likelihood makes her ineligible for expunction.

Without a pardon or acquittal on appeal, a person convicted of any criminal offense higher than a Class C misdemeanor is not eligible for expunction.

Deborah was initially given deferred adjudication in the aggravated assault case, but was later sentenced to prison after repeatedly violating her probation, court records show.

She was sentenced to 21 days in jail in the interference case and was given credit for time served, court records show.

A violation of protective order charge against her was dismissed in 2021, but she was then indicted in Sept. for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

That case is ongoing, court records confirm.

Jimenez’s theft of firearm charges

Leonardo G. Jimenez would struggle to be hired by a law enforcement agency in Texas due to his own run-ins with the law.

The younger Jimenez was arrested twice in 2014 after using hot checks to buy firearms and then selling them at a South Side pawn shop, Bexar County court records show.

Both felony theft-of-firearm charges were taken into consideration by prosecutors in an October 2015 plea agreement that resolved the cases, records show.

Jimenez was given deferred adjudication in exchange for paying court costs, a fine and restitution to both victims: a Hill Country gun shop and a gun dealer who sold Jimenez a weapon while in San Antonio for a gun show.

Leonardo G. Jimenez's 2015 plea agreement to resolve two felony theft of firearm cases. (KSAT)

Court records confirm Jimenez’s probation was terminated early, in September 2016, after he paid more than $1,700 in fines, fees and other funds in lieu of completing community service hours.

An unrelated misdemeanor family violence charge against Jimenez was dismissed in February 2016 because of a missing witness, records show.

Jimenez did not answer the phone when contacted by KSAT last month.

He did, however, exchange numerous text messages with KSAT Investigates.

After Jimenez texted KSAT that they had contacted the wrong person, KSAT sent him portions of his text message exchange with the woman, including a picture of them posing together at a nightclub.

Jimenez then wrote, “I know her but I never said anything about working for any one (sic).”

After KSAT asked about the explicit pictures he sent to the woman, Jimenez wrote back “stop harassing me.”


About the Authors:

Emmy-award winning reporter Dillon Collier joined KSAT Investigates in September 2016. Dillon's investigative stories air weeknights on the Nightbeat and on the Six O'Clock News. Dillon is a two-time Houston Press Club Journalist of the Year and a Texas Associated Press Broadcasters Reporter of the Year.

Joshua Saunders is an Emmy award-winning photographer/editor who has worked in the San Antonio market for the past 20 years. Joshua works in the Defenders unit, covering crime and corruption throughout the city.