San Antonio State Senator Carlos Uresti, who makes his living as a lawyer, will get a different view of justice today as his federal fraud trial gets underway, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
"He's confident. He's strong, and he's just waiting for the truth to come out," defense attorney Michael McCrum tells Newsradio 1200 WOAI.
The San Antonio Democrat has been charged with what prosecutors describe as "an investment Ponzi scheme."
He's accused of lying to potential investors, who were considering funding a now-bankrupt fracking company called Four Winds Logistics.
"The defendants allegedly used funds from more recent investors to pay earlier investors and for personal expenses," according to the statement from prosecutors. Investors were told the cash was used to buy Frack sand. Senator Uresti is accused of failing to disclose that he was getting commissions.
At a pre-trial hearing, Uresti's attorneys tried to argue that, because the Senator paid back $25,000 to one investor, he should be absolved of some of the charges. Federal Judge David Ezra compared that to a previous case he ruled on.
"He robbed money from a bank, walked outside, thought better of it, turned around and walked back in. Unfortunately the dye pack exploded on him as he walked back through the door. He stood there dripping in red paint."
In that case, the attorneys tried to argue that, because he gave the cash back, he was not guilty of bank robbery."I didn’t agree and neither did the 9th circuit."