English Bulldog Puppies for Sale in McAllen, TX

While much remains unclear regarding the Zoho Corporation’s purchase of more than 1,000 acres in Edinburg, there’s one thing that became crystal clear this week: The Austin tech company isn’t going anywhere.

Zoho’s relationship with the Rio Grande Valley began several years ago after the local workforce attracted the company to the area and, in 2022, led to the opening of its McAllen location at 3600 Formosa Ave., Building N.

They’ve since moved to 601 N. Main St. in the city.

Interest in the region continued when Zoho sought to acquire about 90 acres at the Green Jay Park, also known as the McAllen Disc Golf Park, in 2023. Although local residents protested the rezoning of that property, located on South Ware in McAllen, city commissioners voted in favor of the measure.

At that time, Zoho was aiming to build a technology campus on the grounds.

On Friday, however, McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos said the city’s reviewing “different options” for that property as Zoho did not acquire the park after all. But this doesn’t mean Zoho’s activity in the area lessened.

Two days prior to the mayor confirming that McAllen was still looking to develop the park, Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez told The Monitor that Zoho had purchased 1,050 acres in North Edinburg to build its tech campus.

Cortez had first made mention of the acquisition during a regular meeting of the Hidalgo County Commissioners Court on Tuesday amid discussion and approval of a new venture — the Hidalgo County Economic Development Promotion and Advertisement Program.

That program is designed to work in tandem with the Hidalgo County Prosperity Task Force and Rio Plex, a 501(c)6 nonprofit corporation, in an effort to promote and market the Valley on a larger scale as a tech savvy destination.

Currently, neither the county nor Zoho have revealed much about the North Edinburg property, including the cost and exact location.

Tom Philipps, the North America operations head for the Zoho Corporation, did issue a statement to The Monitor on Friday reaffirming its commitment to South Texas.

“(The) Rio Grande Valley is a region full of technical talent and its vibrant culture fits Zoho’s transnational localism philosophy for growth,” Philipps said. “Talent is universal, opportunity is not. We are glad to bring opportunities to the region, meet folks where they are at, and train them up to build a thriving and lasting career.

“Our presence and growth in the region is long term and we are excited to grow alongside the rich talent here.”

The Brief

A 29-year-old McAllen man has been sentenced for enticement of a minor and production of child sexual abuse material, according to U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Christian Allen Hanks pleaded guilty on Oct. 15, 2024. He was sentenced on Feb. 19, 2025.

Prison Sentence for Christian Hanks

U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez has sentenced Hanks to 33.33 years for enticement of a minor and 30 years for production of child pornography convictions. The court ordered the sentences to run at the same time. He faced up to life in prison for the enticement charge. He received the maximum sentence for the production of child pornography.

During his sentencing, the court noted the repeated nature of the offenses and the degree of manipulation involved in them. Judge Alvarez also said Hanks’ behavior was consistent with that of a sexual predator.

Hanks was also ordered to serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet.

He was ordered to register as a sex offender once he is released from prison.

The backstory:

According to court documents, Hanks recorded himself sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl in December 2023. The investigation revealed years of communication between himself and the minor about further sexual abuse, and requests to abuse the minor and other minor children.

The investigation also revealed Hanks engaged in grooming behavior with another minor victim in Louisiana to entice her to have sex with him. The investigation revealed he had sex with the second minor victim.

He will remain in custody until he is transferred to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility. The facility has not been determined.

What they're saying:

"As the court found, the defendant’s behavior in this case was particularly abhorrent, and deserving of a significant sentence," said Ganjei. "Children deserve to grow up in a safe community, free from the predations of individuals like Hanks. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that similar predators are uncovered and prosecuted."

"The conviction and sentencing of this individual today highlights our steadfast dedication to safeguarding our children," said Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Deputy Special Agent in Charge Mark Lippa. "With the sentence of production of child pornography, ICE-HSI sends a strong message that such reprehensible behavior will not be tolerated. We must remain united in our efforts to protect the safety and well-being of every child."

The Source: Information in this article is from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Texas and federal court documents.

TexasCrime and Public Safety