by: Emma Perez
Austin attorney Marc G. Rosenthal is appealing his conviction and 20-year sentence to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, court records show.
Rosenthal, 51, was convicted of bribing former-404th District Judge Abel C. Limas in exchange for favorable court rulings. Rosenthal also was convicted for paying people for false statements, testimony, and to pose as witnesses in civil lawsuits.
A Corpus Christi jury in late February convicted Rosenthal on 13 counts of racketeering, conspiracy, bribery, extortion, tampering and mail fraud.
U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen early this month acquitted Rosenthal of two mail fraud convictions, entered judgment on 11 convictions and sentenced him to 20 years in federal prison.
Hanen also directed Rosenthal to make $13,288,984 in restitution. Hanen recommended that Rosenthal be placed at a facility at or near Bastrop or Texarkana and where Rosenthal’s medical needs can be adequately addressed. Federal inmate records reflected as of Friday that Rosenthal is still in transit to a facility. The facility is not listed yet.
Limas, 59, received a six-year sentence for racketeering and is serving the sentence in a federal prison camp in Pensacola, Fla. His projected release date is Feb. 22, 2019.
Former state Rep. Jim Solis, 50, also was convicted and sentenced to a near four-year sentence for aiding extortion. He is serving the sentence in a federal prison camp at Forrest City, Ark. Solis’ projected release date is April 23, 2017, public records show.
The only other defendant in the Limas-related cases presently in jail is Jose Manuel “Meme” Longoria, who was sentenced to 10 years in jail on one count of extortion, two counts of aiding and abetting extortion and one count of aiding and abetting wire fraud. He is serving time in a federal prison in Beaumont. Longoria’s projected release date is Dec. 15, 2019.
Former Cameron County District Attorney Armando R. Villalobos’ sentencing on seven counts of racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering and five counts of extortion is scheduled for Jan 21. Villalobos’ motions for acquittal or a new trial are pending.
This article originally appeared on brownsvilleherald
