• Home
  • About RiskDiscovered™
  • Contact Us
  • Login 365
Corruption and Bribery
banner
  • Risks
  • Articles
  • Business Ethics
  • Case Studies
  • Legal Issues
  • Legislations
  • Resource Alert
  • Videos
← Previous Post
Next Post →

Architect pleads guilty in Progreso bribery scandal

corruptionbribery April 25, 2014 0

Elizabeth Findell

An architect tied to kickback scandals in Progreso and Weslaco pleaded guilty to conspiracy Wednesday as part of a plea agreement in U.S. District Court in Houston.

Jesus Bustos, 58, of McAllen architecture firm IDEA Group, admitted to bribing school board members in both districts in exchange for contracts worth millions.

Architect pleads guilty in Progreso bribery scandal

The plea for the first time names Joe Marines as the Weslaco school board member who took bribes from Bustos. The architect acknowledged using his employee Rumaldo Bustamante to pay Marines for the contract for the design of Mario Ybarra Elementary.

Bustos then paid two bribes himself to Marines near the end of construction to expedite payment from the district to his firm.

Marines left the board in 2010. He was indicted the following year and pleaded guilty to accepting bribes during the bidding process of a different elementary school, Roosevelt Elementary, in 2006.

In Progreso, Bustos acknowledged using Bustamante to pay bribes from 2004 to 2013 to members of the Vela family for contracts on construction projects including West Elementary School, the Fine Arts Center, North Elementary School and the Science and Technology building.

Jose “Lupe” Vela and his sons, former Mayor Omar Vela and former school board President Michael “Mikey” Vela have all pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges related to controlling city and school district contracts and giving them out in exchange for kickbacks.

“Jose Vela shared the bribe money with PISD School Board members who were willing to vote for contractors that Jose Vela chose for their willingness to pay bribes,” Bustos’ plea agreement said.

Bustos was ordered Wednesday to forfeit $200,000 that he agreed he had gotten through the scheme.

The conspiracy charge carries a punishment of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Bustos is set to be sentenced July 25.

 

Source: brownsvilleherald

Enter Your Mail Address

Tweet
Email Share
TAGS » anti corruption, Anti-bribery, bribery, Bribery Act, bribery and corruption, bribes, corruption and bribery, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Fraud, Fraud and Corruption, Risks
POSTED IN » Corruption Bribery

Related »

Mayor faces bribery charges related to his medical practice

Mayor faces bribery charges related to his medical practice

Subcontractor facing 40 charges for bribery over employment of foreign construction workers

Subcontractor facing 40 charges for bribery over employment of foreign construction workers

Army sergeant accused of taking bribes in Afghanistan

Army sergeant accused of taking bribes in Afghanistan

2 doctors sentenced for roles in medical lab bribery scheme

2 doctors sentenced for roles in medical lab bribery scheme