Uresti Asks to Withdraw Appeal of Fraud Convictions

Disgaced former State Senator Carlos Uresti has withdrawn his appeal of his conviction early this year for ripping off investors in a bogus fracking sand company, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.

Federal court documents obtained by 1200 WOAI news show that Uresti has determined that 'other events have occurred' which have convinced Uresti 'not to appeal his conviction.'  The papers didn't say what those 'other events' were.

Uresti was convicted in February on eleven counts of defrauding investors who he had convinced to place, in some cases millions of dollars, into a company called FourWinds Logistics, which was established to sell fracking sand to oil producers in the Eagle Ford Shale.  

But prosecutors alleged that when the fracking market collapsed in late 2014, FourWinds become a Ponzi Scheme, with made up profits and photo-shopped prospectuses which showed trains filled with fracking sand that did not exist.

Several other principles in FourWinds have also been convicted.

Uesti was sentenced in August to 12 years in prison, but he has been allowed to remain free pending a second trial on unrelated bribery charges.

But last week, Uresti pled guilty in that case.

There is now nothing to prevent a federal judge from ordering that Uresti begin serving his 12 year sentence, and, when he is sentenced on the bribery plea in January, he could get an additional five years.

The incident completes a fall by a man who was once one of the leaders of the Texas Legislature which has nearly the proportions of an ancient Greek tragedy.  In addition to facing federal prison time, the once high living Democrat State Senator resigned his Senate seat, gave up his law license, has been forced to sell his million dollar home an other assets, and is being divorced by his wife.

And, to add insult to injury, last month Uresti's former State Senate seat was won...by a Republican.

Meanwhile, the jury selection is underway in the trial of the man who allegedly hired Uresti to pay bribes to Reeves County officials to convince them to award a lucrative contract to provide health care services to County Jail inmates.


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