Ricardo Lopez, Bribery, Texas 2017

Former Mayor of Crystal City, Texas, Ricardo Lopez, has been sentenced to 97 months in federal prison for his involvement in a bribery and kickback scheme, according to a recent sentencing in Del Rio.

U.S. District Judge Alia Moses handed down the sentence, which also includes three years of supervised release and a restitution order of $24,003.95. Lopez’s crimes were revealed during a federal jury trial in June 2017, where he was convicted of conspiracy to commit bribery involving federal programs, bribery involving federal programs, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and theft of honest services, and four substantive counts of wire fraud and theft of honest services.

Lopez was found guilty alongside former City Manager and City Attorney William James Jonas, III, who received a 420-month sentence in May 2018. Jonas was also ordered to pay $1,047,814.05 in restitution to Crystal City.

Testimony from the trial revealed that Lopez, Jonas, and other city officials used their positions to enrich themselves by soliciting and accepting bribes from individuals seeking to do business in Crystal City between May 2012 and February 2016. The scheme involved emails, texts, and phone calls to carry out the bribery and conceal information.

Three other individuals – former Mayor Pro-Tem Rogelio Mata, former City Councilman Roel Mata, and former City Councilman Gilbert Urrabazo – have pleaded guilty to a federal programs bribery charge and face up to ten years in federal prison and up to a $250,000 fine. Their sentencing is scheduled for September 6, 2018, in Del Rio.

The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigative Division, the Texas Rangers, and the San Antonio Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney William R. Harris is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.

The sentencing of Ricardo Lopez serves as a reminder of the consequences for public officials who engage in corrupt activities. ‘Citizens deserve honest and faithful service from their public officials,’ said FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs. ‘Greed and self-interest have no place in public service.

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