Two San Antonio businessmen, including 78-year-old Mission Wrecker towing company owner Muhammad Choudhary, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery after attempting to purchase a Bexar County government towing contract by bribing Sheriff Javier Salazar, according to federal court documents reviewed by the Objective Wire investigative team. Salazar reported the approach to the FBI immediately, triggering a federal sting operation that led to the convictions.
The approach took place in April 2025. Choudhary and the second businessman, who is also named in the federal case, met with Salazar and offered an upfront payment of $30,000 along with a $25,000 annual kickback for the lifetime of the towing contract, provided Salazar awarded the contract to Mission Wrecker without opening the process to competitive bids. The total value of the bribe, assuming a standard contract period, represented a significant sum well above typical contracting thresholds that require public bidding under Texas procurement law.
Sheriff Salazar | FBI Notification and the Sting Operation
Rather than accept or ignore the offer, Sheriff Salazar contacted the FBI on the day of the meeting. Federal agents then worked with Salazar to document subsequent contacts between the sheriff and the two businessmen, building the evidentiary record that ultimately underpinned the federal charges. The case is an example of a law enforcement official responding to a bribery approach in a textbook manner: immediate FBI notification, cooperation with a controlled sting, and a clean chain of custody for the recorded evidence.
Salazar addressed the case publicly after the guilty pleas were entered, providing a direct on-camera account of the encounter and the FBI involvement that followed.
Bexar County Towing Contracts | The Public Bidding System at Stake
County towing contracts in Texas are subject to competitive bidding requirements under state procurement law when they exceed defined financial thresholds. The purpose of competitive bidding is to prevent exactly the arrangement Choudhary sought: a sole-source award based on a personal payment rather than price, capability, or service quality. Had the bribe succeeded, taxpayers and the court system would have been bound to a vendor selected through corruption rather than merit.
The case also illustrates how towing contracts, which are often treated as low-visibility government awards, represent significant financial value to operators. A county-level towing contract with exclusive or preferred dispatch status can generate substantial annual revenue, making the economics of the alleged bribe internally consistent from the perspective of the businessman who offered it.
Federal Charges | Sentencing and Status
Both Choudhary and the second businessman face up to five years in federal prison on the conspiracy to commit bribery conviction. Sentencing had not been scheduled as of the date of this report. For additional coverage of Texas public corruption prosecutions, see the Greater Texas investigations hub and the DJE Texas $69.5 million Ponzi scheme conviction.
This investigation was reported by Alfonso C., lead investigator at Objective Wire, using federal court filings and Department of Justice records. Tips on Texas public corruption can be submitted through the Objective Wire confidential tip line.