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发帖数: 29846 | 1 via Breitbart Feed
MCALLEN, Texas -- A corrupt Texas Justice of the Peace has pleaded guilty to
taking money from a convicted drug trafficker who worked for a bail
bondsman in a bond rigging scheme.
On Monday morning, former Justice of the Peace Ismael “Melo” Ochoa pleaded
guilty to two counts of bribery and one count of money laundering. Ochoa
took a plea deal which resulted in a 10-year probation sentence, a $10,000
fine and $5,000 in reparations to the county.
Ochoa is the latest politician tied to a series of separate but connected
conspiracies related to drug trafficking, bribery, and illegal favors that
included former Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Trevino, some of his top
advisers and Texas based Gulf Cartel kingpin Tomas “El Gallo” Gonzalez.
The network surrounded a series of favors that Gonzalez paid for in cash and
in political donations.
Ochoa’s role in the network dealt with rigging bonds for the individuals
brought by former bail company employee Julio Davila, according to court
records obtained by Breitbart Texas.
Those individuals included Gonzalez and his employees; Gonzalez was
convicted in federal court of bribing former Sheriff Trevino and one of his
commanders in exchange for favors. Gonzalez and Davila have been cooperating
with authorities in providing information and testimony against corrupt
officials. Sources close to the investigation have told Breitbart Texas that
the reason for Ochoa’s lenient sentence is because of his cooperation with
authorities. |
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