Fred Olivares, former FBI supervisor turned private investigator, played a central role in one of the most disturbing defense collapses ever seen in a federal criminal case. Based in San Antonio, Olivares quietly joined the defense team after years of government service—without a single disclosure or waiver to the court.
Now, his name sits at the center of bar complaints, DOJ letters, and civil rights litigation. And the truth is catching up.
Olivares previously supervised FBI agents assigned to investigate Bradley Croft. Then, he resurfaced as part of Croft’s defense team—despite a clear, documented conflict of interest. A letter from the U.S. Attorney’s Office confirms that the Department of Justice had warned lead defense counsel Thomas McHugh of this exact conflict.
Instead of disclosing it to the court or stepping away, Olivares stayed on. Quietly. Strategically. Unethically.
In 2018, Croft requested that his defense team subpoena witness Wes Keeling—whose credibility had already been compromised through Brady listings and disciplinary memos. Attorney William Brooks filed the subpoena with the court.
But no one served it.
When confronted during a bar complaint, Fred Olivares submitted a sworn affidavit claiming he handed the subpoena to Croft and instructed him to have his civil attorney serve it. The problem? Croft was on the strictest form of house arrest—unable to go anywhere other than court, his attorney’s office, or the doctor. He had no legal ability to execute that subpoena, and Fred knew it.
This wasn’t incompetence. It was coordinated failure. Olivares, McHugh, and Brooks all had the opportunity—and the duty—to act. Instead, they stayed quiet while a subpoena was buried, a Brady witness testified, and a conviction took root.
And now, Olivares’ false affidavit is preserved in the record. Alongside the DOJ’s letter. Alongside the unserved subpoena. Alongside a mountain of evidence showing that this wasn’t just a trial gone wrong—it was a defense that never tried to win.
William Brooks – The Attorney Who Stayed Silent
Thomas McHugh – What He Knew and What He Chose Not to Say
Gregory Surovics – The Prosecutor Who Knew Too Much and Said Nothing
Read the central report: Brad Croft San Antonio — The Truth the DOJ Doesn’t Want You to Know