The husband of an Austin woman charged with stealing thousands of dollars from a local non-profit apologized to the former employees left out in the cold when the charity shut down. The apology took place outside of a scheduled hearing Tuesday morning at the Travis County Courthouse.
Marco Aponte, 47, was indicted by a Travis County grand jury in May on two counts of money laundering. Travis County prosecutors claim that Marco Aponte knowingly secured and concealed thousands of dollars in money his wife Louanne Aponte allegedly stole from Family Connections, a non-profit in the business of helping thousands of local children and their families.
Louanne Aponte disappeared in March after an internal audit uncovered that she may have stolen up to $327,000 from Family Connections over a six-year period. Prosecutors and detectives believe that Louann Aponte may be hiding out in Venezuela where she has dual citizenship.
Marco Aponte had a pre-trial hearing Tuesday morning in front of Judge Julie Kocurek, however the proceedings were rescheduled for September 14.
KVUE attempted to talk to Marco Aponte as he was leaving the courtroom, but his attorney Joe Turner spoke for him.
“Well he's innocent," said Joe Turner to KVUE. "He's really the victim here. I mean, he's standing here charged with something he didn't do, but we're hoping he'll be cleared by the time this case is over.”
Before Aponte got to the elevators, a former Family Connections employee approached him asking him if he had anything to say to her.
“I asked if he had anything to say, and that he was sorry and that material things mean nothing and that he cares about us,” said Trish Rivera, a former Family Connections employee.
Marco Aponte is still living in his and his wife’s Circle C home which was seized by Travis County this spring.
Aponte is wearing a G.P.S. device because prosecutors believe he is a flight risk.
