Los Angeles Torrecilla Condemned
- PLASENCIA, Spain – Mónica de Cáceres Rubio, the former socialist mayor of Torrecilla de los Ángeles, has been sentenced by Criminal Court No.
- The legal proceedings began following a request from the new municipal government for the return of both a laptop and a mobile phone.
- Upon leaving office, the Town Hall requested the return of both devices.
Ex-Mayor of Torrecilla de los Ángeles Convicted of Misappropriation
Table of Contents
- Ex-Mayor of Torrecilla de los Ángeles Convicted of Misappropriation
- Ex-Mayor of Torrecilla de los Ángeles Convicted: your Questions Answered
- Who is Mónica de Cáceres Rubio?
- What Was Mónica de Cáceres Rubio Convicted of?
- What Was the sentence?
- What Specific Items Were Involved in the Misappropriation?
- Why Was the Case Brought Against Her?
- What was Her Initial Defense?
- When Did She Return the iPhone?
- What Evidence Contradicted Her Claims About the iPhone?
- What Were the Key Arguments from Her Lawyer?
- What Specific Contractual Details Were Relevant?
- What was the Outcome of the iPhone’s Usage?
- What is the Current Status of the Case?
- Summary of Key Events and Outcomes
PLASENCIA, Spain – Mónica de Cáceres Rubio, the former socialist mayor of Torrecilla de los Ángeles, has been sentenced by Criminal Court No. 2 of Plasencia to one year in prison and a period of disqualification from holding public office. The conviction stems from a charge of misappropriation related to a laptop that was not returned after she left office. The court also ordered her to pay €749 in restitution to the Torrecilla de los Ángeles Town Hall, representing the value of the computer, and to cover legal costs.The sentance is subject to appeal within ten days of notification.
Dispute Over Equipment
The legal proceedings began following a request from the new municipal government for the return of both a laptop and a mobile phone. According to court documents,during her tenure,Internet Extremadura SL provided de Cáceres Rubio with an Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max,valued at €1,259,as part of a supply contract with the Town Hall dating back to 2016. The phone was intended for her use as mayor. Additionally, in 2021, she acquired an ASUS laptop from El Corte Inglés for €749, also for official use, with the Town Hall covering the cost.
Upon leaving office, the Town Hall requested the return of both devices. However, neither was returned. The court found that de Cáceres Rubio, “with the intention of illicit enrichment and knowing her obligation to return such items, refused to hand them over.” Initially, she claimed both devices were broken and discarded. Later, she asserted that the mobile phone was a personal gift and therefore not subject to return.
iPhone Returned After Inquiry
on Sept. 29, 2023, de Cáceres Rubio eventually turned in the iPhone to the Civil Guard in Villanueva de la Sierra, who then delivered it to the Town Hall. Consequently, she is only required to compensate the Town Hall for the laptop’s value.
Conflicting explanations
Ana Vanessa Gómez, the current mayor, filed the initial complaint with the Civil Guard in Villanueva de la Sierra. De Cáceres Rubio initially declined to make a statement.
Court documents included whatsapp message screenshots provided by the complainant. These messages showed requests for the devices and de Cáceres Rubio’s responses claiming they were broken. In response to a request for the laptop, she allegedly wrote, “Who told you? It broke last year. Tell them. Whoever asked for it. Who was it? Fine, let them go look for it in the community garbage.” When asked about the iPhone,she replied,”The phone is a lie. Oh, okay, during the olive harvest strikes. Hahahaha, what a coincidence that it also broke.”
In response to the demand for the return of the two devices,the former mayor’s lawyer stated that the phone was rendered unusable more than two years prior due to an “unfortunate accident.” The lawyer also claimed that de Cáceres Rubio informed the secretary that the phone was broken and received no instructions to return it to the Town Hall, leading her to consider it waste and dispose of it. She made the same argument regarding the laptop, stating that it was broken, uninsured, and out of warranty.
mobile Phone Activity Disputed
The Civil Guard investigated the matter, contacting various telephone companies regarding the iPhone’s IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number. According to court documents, Vodafone reported that the IMEI was “operational and being used” between June and August 2023.
Following these findings, de Cáceres Rubio appeared at the Civil Guard station and surrendered the phone.
The former mayor maintained that the iPhone was a personal gift, while admitting that the laptop belonged to the Town Hall and had broken. The court noted that she acknowledged “lying to the new mayor about the phone being broken out of anger.”
Claim of Harassment
De Cáceres Rubio later changed her stance, claiming she felt “harassed” by the persistent demands, according to court documents. She acknowledged possessing the phone but argued she was not “obligated to return it because it was supposedly a gift from a private company for potential assistance in contacting other mayors to offer them their services.”
Though, Clause 8 of the contract with Internet Extremadura SL stipulated that the iPhone 12, provided at a reduced rate with a 36-month commitment, was registered in the Town Hall’s name. The Town Hall terminated the agreement with the company, which then demanded €2,761.72 for early termination penalties and €1,040.50 for the phone itself. De Cáceres Rubio returned the phone to the Civil Guard in villanueva de la Sierra on sept. 29, 2023.
Based on these findings, the Criminal Court no. 2 of Plasencia sentenced the former mayor of Torrecilla de los Ángeles to one year in prison, disqualification from holding public office during the sentence, and ordered her to compensate the Town Hall for the value of the laptop.
Ex-Mayor of Torrecilla de los Ángeles Convicted: your Questions Answered
Are you curious about the recent conviction of the former mayor of Torrecilla de los Ángeles? This article breaks down the key details,answering your pressing questions about the case.
Who is Mónica de Cáceres Rubio?
Mónica de Cáceres Rubio is the former socialist mayor of Torrecilla de los Ángeles,a town in Spain.
What Was Mónica de Cáceres Rubio Convicted of?
Mónica de Cáceres Rubio was convicted of misappropriation. This conviction stems from her failure to return a laptop after leaving office.
What Was the sentence?
She was sentenced to one year in prison and a period of disqualification from holding public office. She was also ordered to pay €749 in restitution to the Torrecilla de los Ángeles Town Hall, representing the value of the laptop, and to cover legal costs.
What Specific Items Were Involved in the Misappropriation?
The case involved two items:
An ASUS laptop: Purchased for €749 with Town Hall funds.
An Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max: Valued at €1,259,provided by internet Extremadura SL as part of a supply contract.
Why Was the Case Brought Against Her?
The new municipal government requested the return of the laptop and the mobile phone after de Cáceres Rubio left office, but neither device was returned.
What was Her Initial Defense?
Initially,she claimed both devices were broken and discarded. Later, she claimed the mobile phone was a personal gift.
When Did She Return the iPhone?
She eventually returned the iPhone on September 29, 2023, to the Civil Guard in Villanueva de la Sierra.
What Evidence Contradicted Her Claims About the iPhone?
The Civil Guard investigated the iPhone’s IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number.Vodafone reported that the IMEI was “operational and being used” between June and August 2023.
What Were the Key Arguments from Her Lawyer?
Her lawyer argued:
The phone was unusable due to an “unfortunate accident.”
She informed the secretary the phone was broken and received no instructions to return it, so she considered it waste.
* The laptop was broken, uninsured, and out of warranty.
What Specific Contractual Details Were Relevant?
Clause 8 of the contract with Internet Extremadura SL stated that the iPhone 12, provided at a reduced rate, was registered in the Town Hall’s name.
What was the Outcome of the iPhone’s Usage?
The court found that de Cáceres Rubio acknowledged “lying to the new mayor about the phone being broken out of anger.” She later claimed the phone was a gift, despite the contractual stipulations.
What is the Current Status of the Case?
The sentence is subject to appeal within ten days of notification.
Summary of Key Events and Outcomes
Here’s a quick breakdown of the key events and their outcomes:
| Event | Outcome |
| ——————————————— | ———————————————————————————————————————————— |
| New mayor requests return of devices | Laptop and phone not returned.|
| Initial claim: Devices broken and discarded | Contradicted by later evidence. |
| Civil Guard inquiry into the iPhone | IMEI was operational and in use. |
| iPhone returned | De Cáceres Rubio only had to compensate for the laptop’s value. |
| court’s final ruling | One year in prison,disqualification from holding public office,and restitution of the laptop’s value. |
| De Cáceres Rubio’s final stance | Maintained the iPhone was a personal gift but admitted lying to the new mayor about the phone and the laptop belonging to the Town Hall. |