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RIO HONDO — In a federal lawsuit, longtime City Administrator Ben Medina claims former Police Chief William Bilokury arrested him without probable cause, while his sergeant “lied” in affidavits used to obtain search warrants for a cellphone along with city recording equipment which the chief claimed was recording a court proceeding.
Earlier this year, Bilokury, who city commissioners fired for policy violations in March 2025, filed a lawsuit against the city over his termination, City Attorney Robert Drinkard said in an interview.
Tuesday in U.S. District Court, Medina filed the lawsuit against Bilokury, in his capacity as police chief, and Sgt. Javier Rosales, in his capacity as a police officer, demanding a jury trial.
While Medina declined comment, Bilokury could not be reached for comment.
In a lawsuit filed by attorney Ruben Pena, Medina claims Bilokury arrested him at the city’s police station, taking him to the Cameron County jail, where he was held for 12 hours on charges of tampering, fabricating physical evidence with intent to impair and improper influence.
On Jan. 8, 2025, Medina’s felony charges were dismissed while his misdemeanor charges were dropped on June 11, 2025, the lawsuit states.
“These charges stemmed from Bilokury’s unfounded suspicions that Medina had improperly used a city recording device to surreptitiously tape a municipal court proceeding,” the lawsuit states. “Chief Bilokury, in a political...
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