Angus Kelly McGinty, Judicial Corruption, New Mexico 2015

A former Texas state district court judge has pleaded guilty to honest services wire fraud and accepting bribes in a federal judicial corruption case.

Angus Kelly McGinty, 51, a former judge in Bexar County, Texas, pleaded guilty on an honest services wire fraud charge and admitted to depriving the State of Texas and citizens of Bexar County of his honest services by soliciting and accepting bribes intended to influence his judicial decisions.

Between January 2013 and September 2013, McGinty solicited and accepted bribes from Alberto Acevedo, Jr., an attorney in San Antonio, in exchange for favorable judicial rulings that benefited Acevedo and his clients.

According to court documents, Acevedo’s bribes to McGinty included cash, car repairs, arranging the sale of McGinty’s vehicle, and registering a vehicle purchased by McGinty. In exchange, McGinty provided the favorable judicial rulings requested by Acevedo, including lenient sentences and less restrictive conditions of release for Acevedo’s clients.

McGinty received gifts, payments, and other things of value totaling more than $6,655.00 from Acevedo.

In a statement, U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez said, ‘Independent and impartial judges are essential to the proper administration of justice. The Department is committed to rooting out corruption and maintaining confidence in public institutions.’

McGinty initially was charged with conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery, extortion under color of official right, and honest services wire fraud in an indictment filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas in June 2014. In February 2015, a five-count superseding indictment was filed charging McGinty with conspiracy to commit honest service wire fraud, three counts of honest services wire fraud, and extortion under color of official right.

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