‘Hopefully this puts to rest the idea that there was fraud or criminal wrongdoing.’ Councilman Barrera told 3NEWS after agencies closed the criminal probe.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Local, state and federal investigators have closed their criminal investigations into allegations tied to a proposed downtown Hilton Homewood Suites project, determining no crime was committed, according to city officials and an attorney representing a key figure in the case.

RELATED: Attorneys for Elevate QOF deny fraud claims in Hilton Homewood Suites project dispute

Corpus Christi Police, along with the FBI, Texas Rangers, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Nueces County District Attorney’s Office, found no evidence to support claims of fraud or forgery connected to the project, officials said.

Councilman Roland Barrera said the findings validate what city leaders have maintained throughout the controversy.

“I think basically it just validates what we’ve been saying all along — that there was no fraud and there was no crime committed,” Barrera said. “Hopefully it puts a lot of things to rest.”

The allegations stem from a lawsuit filed by Ajit David, a member of a competing hotel-management group, accusing developer Elevate QOF, LLC and local architect Philip Ramirez of misrepresenting floodplain information during a presentation to the city’s Type B Board as part of an incentive request.

Attorney Jeff Lehrman, who represents Ramirez, said investigators thoroughly reviewed the claims before closing the case.

“All of the relevant law enforcement agencies followed the facts, not the sensationalism,” Lehrman said. “They all came to the same conclusion — that there was no crime committed.”

Lehrman said the Corpus Christi Police Department has formally closed its investigation and that other agencies, including the FBI and Texas Rangers, have also declined to pursue charges.

While the criminal investigations are now complete, both Barrera and Lehrman emphasized that the civil lawsuit remains active.

“The civil case is still continuing,” Barrera said. “But hopefully this puts to rest the idea that there was fraud or criminal wrongdoing.”

Elevate has denied the allegations, previously calling them baseless and politically motivated, and has filed its own legal action seeking to uphold the city ordinance approving the project. The Hilton Homewood Suites development remains in progress as the civil litigation moves forward.