SAN ANTONIO – Disgraced ex-state Sen. Carlos Uresti arrived at the federal courthouse Tuesday afternoon to begin serving his 12-year federal prison sentence.
Flanked by family, friends and lawyers, Uresti arrived around 1:05 p.m. at the John H. Wood Federal Courthouse.
"Time is just time. I'm here to turn myself in," Uresti said. "Got the support of my family, my lawyers. I've got the good book with me. and I'm going to make the best of my next journey.
When I get out, I'm going to get back to doing what I was doing before, which is to help as many people as possible, especially the children of Texas. I just ask for everybody's prayers over the next several years. But I will be back."
Uresti and his supporters then huddled in prayer before he walked into the courthouse to report to U.S. marshals.
The former San Antonio lawmaker was sentenced Feb. 12 to five years in federal prison on bribery charges. He will serve that sentence concurrently with a 12-year sentence handed down in February 2018.
In October 2018, Uresti pleaded guilty to working as a consultant in a contract deal with a company that provided medical services to inmates, contingent on a secured deal with the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Prosecutors said Uresti accepted several monthly payments of $10,000.