By KERA News & Wire Services
Dallas, TX – Convicted state Rep. Kino Flores will not serve prison time for criminal ethics violations that tarnished the lengthy and once influential political career of the South Texas Democrat.
State District Judge Bob Perkins sentenced Flores Monday to five years' probation Monday. Perkins said he recognized that the investigation leading to the 52-year-old lawmaker's conviction had "greatly lessened" his reputation and merited probation.
Flores could have received up to two years in jail after a Travis County jury convicted him on 11 counts of record tampering and perjury for allegedly selling his influence in the Legislature and taking bribes.
Members of the lawmaker's family wept at the sentencing and hugged Flores, who has represented District 36 in the Lower Rio Grande Valley for 14 years.
Texan gets prison, must repay $17M over fraud
A Lubbock man must serve more than 10 years in federal prison and repay nearly $17.5 million in an investment and financing scam.
Prosecutors in Dallas on Monday announced the sentence for 38-year-old Justin Laurin Prather, who formerly lived in Irving.
Prather in August pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. He was sentenced Friday to 121 months in prison, plus must make restitution.
Court documents indicate Prather is a former employee of CitiCapital Commercial Corp. and was a senior vice president of GE Capital Commercial Inc.
Investigators say Prather ran three fraud schemes since 2004, involving securities, construction equipment and the sale of golf carts.
Prather must report to prison Jan. 25, 2011.
Hearing on proposed North Texas power line route
Two judges with the State Office of Administrative Hearings will recommend where an electric line should cross Collin, Cooke, Denton and Grayson counties either north or south of Ray Roberts Lake.
A weeklong hearing was set to begin Monday in Austin.
Critics have raised environmental and property rights concerns.
The Denton Record-Chronicle reports the proposed Krum-Anna segment of the wind power-related delivery line is part of the nearly $5 billion Competitive Renewable Energy Zone project.
The judges' recommendation goes to the Public Utility Commission, which has the final say.
Oncor Electric Delivery spokeswoman Catherine Cuellar says the company is required to designate a preferred route, which she says is the southern route between Krum and Anna. Cuellar also says there are 96 routes and the PUC can choose any route or combination.