Whether one faces criminal charges in a state or federal court, it is important that the accused individual does all he or she can to build a strong defense. An El Paso man, who was charged with a federal crime in connection with a “pay-to-play” scheme, was recently sentenced for his role in the matter. He will spend 10 months in prison and pay a fine of $25,000. Things will not go back to normal for him once those 10 months are up. Once he is released from prison he will have two years of supervised release as well.
The 44-year-old former political consultant, who pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and deprivation of honest services, was one of at least 39 individuals who have been convicted of crimes in connection with the matter. Specifically, he admitted to passing along a $1,500 cash bribe to a former El Paso County Judge. Among other things, in exchange, the judge supported the refinancing of county debt totaling $40 million. That judge received a four year prison sentence for his involvement in the matter.
These types of white collar crimes are taken very seriously by federal authorities who aggressively go after those suspected of being involved. Accordingly, it is not uncommon for the federal government to come out on top. For that reason it is imperative that individuals accused of federal crimes work to minimize the consequences. In most cases this involves working with a criminal defense attorney.
Source: El Paso Inc., “Dill sentenced to 10 months,” Jan. 12, 2014