Overview
- Neil Calfas was arrested Wednesday and charged with solicitation of prostitution, a state jail felony, and trafficking a person for sexual conduct, a second-degree felony, with combined bail set at $110,000.
- An arrest affidavit alleges Calfas coerced a woman into sex by promising to provide legal assistance or representation for her brother who was jailed in Guadalupe County.
- Investigators reviewed recorded phone calls about the arrangement and the Texas Department of Public Safety executed a warrant at Calfas’ 110 Broadway office, seizing documents and computers.
- A staffer at Calfas Law Group declined to comment, and an ethics attorney noted that criminal charges could prompt suspension or disbarment while Calfas retains his right to due process.
- Reporters note the allegations echo the Mark Benavides prosecution, a prior local case that led to conviction and a long sentence, raising questions about abuse of power by defense lawyers and possible wider effects on vulnerable clients.