SAN ANTONIO – Sen. Carlos Uresti was convicted on 11 counts of federal fraud for his role at FourWinds Logistics on Thursday.
Uresti was charged with securities fraud, wire fraud and money laundering in connection with the oil field sand fracking company that is now bankrupt.
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Now what?
Uresti has said he doesn’t plan on stepping down and legally he can still serve as senator while he appeals the ruling.
He cannot, however, run for re-election with a felony conviction, according to the Texas Legislature election code.
Will he get his guaranteed Texas legislator pension? Unclear.
All Texas legislators are guaranteed pensions after serving eight years.
It’s impossible to determine which government employees-turned-convicts receive money or how much they receive, according to the Texas Tribune.
More than two dozen former elected officials with prior felony convictions might be collecting retirement payouts the Tribune reported.
The Tribune identified 27 government officials who fulfilled the minimum requirements to collect retirement pay, despite convictions for crimes ranging from drug trafficking to extortion. Read the full article here.
Will he be disbarred? Not necessarily.
When an attorney is convicted of a certain type of crime, the State Bar of Texas is required to seek compulsory discipline as part of the Texas Rules of Disciplinary Procedures.
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A petition would be filed with the Board of Disciplinary Appeals and it would have to be proved that an attorney was convicted of a certain type of crime.
"Qualifying crimes are defined as 'any crime involving misapplication of money or other property held as a fiduciary' or barratry; any felony involving moral turpitude; any misdemeanor involving theft, embezzlement, or fraudulent or reckless misappropriation of money or other property; or any attempt, conspiracy, or solicitation of another to commit any of those crimes,” public affairs counsel Claire Mock, of the office of the chief disciplinary counsel, said.
Trial No. 2
Uresti will be back in the courtroom in May for separate felony charges including bribery and money laundering.
Thursday's verdict may affect the date of the second trial but it's currently unchanged.
What’s next?
Uresti will remain free on bond until a sentencing hearing scheduled for June 25.
READ: Sen. Carlos Uresti: 'I'm not guilty'
Think Uresti is the only convicted Texas politician? Think again.
Other Texas politicians convicted of crimes:
- State Representative Carlos Uresti (D) convicted of fraud and money laundering. (2017)
- State Representative Ron Reynolds (D) was convicted of barratry and was sentenced to one year in jail. (2015)
- State District Judge Angus Kelly McGinty (R) was arrested for soliciting and accepting bribes in exchange for favorable rulings. He pleaded guilty and was given a two-year prison sentence. (2014)
- State Representative Naomi Gonzalez (D) convicted of drunken driving, sentenced to 15 days in jail. (2014)
- State Representative Linda Harper-Brown (R) was found guilty of ethics violations and fined $5,000. (2014)
- State Representative Joe Driver (R) pleaded guilty to using tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars to reimburse himself for travel expenses that his campaign had already funded. (2011)