Judge orders thief who stole $250,000 to walk streets wearing confession sign every weekend for SIX years



A man who stole money from victims of crime has been ordered to stand on a busy city street with a sign saying he is a thief - every weekend for the next six years.

Daniel Mireles has been walking back and forth on Westheimer in Houston - in front of the Galleria shopping centre with a sign saying he is a thief.

In large capital letters, his sign reads: 'I am a thief. I stole $250,000 from the Harris County crime victim's fund. Daniel Mireles.'

Humiliating sentence: Daniel Mireles will spend five hours every Saturday for the next six years, holding a sign in public revealing he is a convicted thief

A judge ordered the public humiliation as part of Mireles's sentence.

Mireles says that he suffers abuse from passersby, but sometimes gets sympathy as well.

He said: 'I've been stopped by two gentlemen who don't approve of me walking the street. This block right here. They don't approve of what I did, but they don't approve of this.'

Mireles said he must stand at the intersection for five hours every weekend for the next six years.



His wife Eloise, a former county employee, was also convicted of theft in July. She'll serve the same public punishment once she gets out of jail.



Jailed: Eloise Mireles was jailed for six months but Judge Kevin Fine has ruled that she will endure the same humiliation as her husband upon her release



Eloise Mireles was a former employee of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, and she embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars - using the money for her family’s personal gain.

She was found guilty of siphoning off more than $200,000, while Daniel than $100,000 for his alleged role in the scheme.

Authorities also seized three vehicles and the couple's east Houston home.



Eloise Mireles worked for the DA’s office for 16 years. She started working as a receptionist in the Victim’s Rights Division in 2001, and remained there until her termination on August 20, 2009.

'I've been stopped by two gentlemen who don't approve of me walking the street... They don't approve of what I did, but they don't approve of this'



Thedepartment provides assistance to crime victims and accepts court-ordered restitution from defendants.

At some point she identified a weakness in the system of tracking payments to victims. But instead of reporting it, she exploited it.

Investigators discovered that she stole more than 400 cheques intended for victims. Her husband deposited the cheques into their account and the pair enjoyed holidays, concerts and nights out off the proceeds.



The charges could have carried large prison terms but Judge Kevin Fine - a Texan judge well known for his unorthodox sentences - ordered that Eloise six months in prison.

He also sentenced both to: spend one month in jail each year for the next six years; pay full restitution in the next 10 years; complete 400 hours of community service; and display a sign in front of their home that reads: 'The occupants of this residence are convicted theives. They stole $250,000 from the Harris County Crime Victm's fund. Signed, Judge Kevin Fine.'

On top of all this, they will wear their signs on the corner of Post Oak and Westheimer every weekend for six years, he on Saturdays and she on Sundays.