The San Antonio businessman behind the CommonWealth Coffeehouse & Bistro chain is facing federal criminal charges over a North Texas real-estate deal, the San Antonio Business Journal reports.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office indicted Jorge Herrero, who owns both CommonWealth and the Soccer Central sports facility, on one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft, the publication reports, citing recently unsealed court documents.
Both Herrero and the U.S. Attorney’s Office declined comment for the Business Journal’s story.
The federal indictment alleges an unnamed business entity loaned Herrero $2.12 million to finance his purchase of an office building in the Dallas suburb of Grand Prairie based on his false claim that the Texas Facilities Commission had renewed its lease in the building.
The lender later learned while visiting the property that the state agency didn’t occupy the building, according to federal documents cited by the Business Journal. In November 2024, the lender foreclosed on the property at a loss of more than $1 million after Herrero failed to pay back the loan, according to the allegations.
Herrero has faced multiple lawsuits accusing him of engaging in fraudulent real estate deals, according to the Business Journal’s reporting.
CommonWealth sold its flagship Broadway store in a foreclosure sale two months ago. However, the company’s website and Google show another five locations from the chain as still in operation.
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