A federal jury has convicted two Texas men for conspiring to pay bribes to two city commissioners in Weslaco, Texas, in an effort to secure contracts, the US Justice Department said on Friday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st October, 2022) A Federal jury has convicted two Texas men for conspiring to pay bribes to two city commissioners in Weslaco, Texas, in an effort to secure contracts, the US Justice Department said on Friday.
"Richard Quintanilla, 57, of Weslaco, and former Hidalgo County Commissioner Arturo C. Cuellar Jr., 68, of Hidalgo County, agreed with others to bribe two Weslaco City Commissioners, John Cuellar and Gerardo Tafolla, in exchange for official actions favorable to engineering companies seeking large contracts with the city," the Justice Department said in a press release.
From approximately March 2008 through December 2015, one of the participants in the scheme received approximately $4.1 million from two engineering companies and shared nearly $1.4 million with Cuellar, the release said.
Cuellar also used a company he controlled to facilitate the payment of approximately $405,000 in bribes to his cousin, John Cuellar, which were disguised as legitimate legal expenses, the release said.
In exchange for these payments, John Cuellar engaged in activities which served to benefit the companies, including helping to award a $38.5 million contract to rehabilitate Weslaco's water treatment plant, while Quintanilla also paid Tafolla other bribes, the release said.
Arturo Cuellar was convicted of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, four counts of honest services wire fraud, federal program bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, 26 counts of money laundering and 26 counts of using a facility in interstate commerce to facilitate unlawful activity, the release said.
Quintanilla was convicted of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, four counts of honest services wire fraud, federal program bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and seven counts of money laundering, the release added.
Cuellar and Quintanilla face up to 20 years in prison each and their sentencing is set for January 18, 2023, according to the release.
