San Antonio State Senator Carlos Uresti, a veteran lawmaker who has been a major presence in San Antonio politics for two decades, was indicted today in two separate cases, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
The US Attorney's office says Uresti, 53, along with his former business partners from a company called Four Winds Energy, Stanley Bates and Gary Cain, are charged with constructing a 'Ponzi scheme' to sell fracking sand.
The indictment claims the trio 'made false statements and representations' to solicit investors, and pocketed much of the money from newer investors.
In a separate charge, Uresti is charged with bribing officials in Reeves County, in West Texas, to win a medical services contract at a prison in the county for a partner named Vernon Farthing of Lubbock.
The indictment claims Farthing paid Uresti a consultant's fee of $10,000 a month, and Uresti paid half of it to a Reeves County officials 'for his support and vote' to award the contract to Farthing's company.
If convicted on all counts, Uresti faces up to twenty years in federal prison.
Uresti, who represents much of South San Antonio and the Brush Country in the State Senate, will have to take a leave from the State Capitol on Friday to make his initial appearance in court.