Informant in DEA case pleads guilty to obstruction of justice

A man pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice Friday, having told defense
attorneys he would leave town without testifying if they matched the amount
of money the federal government had agreed to pay him.

Jorge Arroyo, 41, entered the plea in U.S. District Judge Melinda Harmon's
court, Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Serres said.

He will be sentenced Jan. 9, Serres said.

Arroyo was the primary witness in a Drug Enforcement Administration case
that was scheduled for trial last August.

Attorneys Dan Cogdell and Kent Schaffer were representing Dan De La Garza
on federal charges that he agreed to launder $100,000 in cash for Arroyo.

Arroyo had expressed frustration the DEA was threatening to prosecute him
if he didn't testify against De La Garza, nabbed in a 1993 sting operation
initiated by Arroyo.

Arroyo's arrest took place after he allegedly went to Schaffer's office and
accepted $50,000 in cash. Cogdell and Schaffer had been wired by the Harris
County district attorney's office to record the transaction.

Cogdell was critical of the federal prosecutors for paying an informant
such as Arroyo for testifying.

Federal official have said they have no facts that show federal officials
improperly used Arroyo as an informant. They also said it's common for
informants to receive remuneration.