SAN ANTONIO – Update (10:15 a.m. Friday): Former state Sen. Carlos Uresti was released from prison on Friday morning after serving four years and four months of his 12-year sentence.
His attorney Mikal Watts confirmed to KSAT that he left a federal prison in Bastrop and was taken to a halfway house.
Original: Ex-state Sen. Carlos Uresti will be released from federal prison on Friday after serving four years and four months of his 12-year sentence, according to his attorney, Mikal Watts.
“I’m a better man - better than before. I have learned the art of ‘hitting it and pivoting,’ and it has made all the difference in my situation. Through this journey, I have emerged wiser, healthier, happier and yes, even funnier. But most importantly, I have achieved a profound sense of freedom where it matters most - within my soul,” Uresti said in a press release.
Uresti is expected to be released around 8:30 a.m., his attorney confirmed late Thursday. It’s unclear what led to his shortened sentence.
He was found guilty of 11 different felony counts related to money laundering and fraud. He was also ordered to pay more than $6 million in restitution to people he defrauded.
Uresti began serving his federal prison sentence on Feb. 19, 2019. He was set to serve that sentence concurrently with a 12-year sentence that was 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.
Watts said after his prison release, Uresti will be “embarking on a new chapter in his career” and will be working at the law firm Watts & Guerra.