By KERA News & Wire Services
Dallas, TX – The developer of low-income apartment projects whose bribes were at the center of the Dallas City Hall public corruption case is headed to prison.
Brian Potashnik received his 14-month sentence in federal court Friday. He was fined $50,000 and must forfeit $1.25 million. Potashnik's wife, Cheryl, was sentenced Friday to six years of probation and a $50,000 fine.
Both Potaskniks pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to bribe charge. Brian Potashnik agreed in his plea deal to cooperate with prosecutors.
Authorities say the scheme involved developers bribing city officials in return for votes on their low-income housing projects. Former Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Don Hill, the No. 2 public official in City Hall, was sentenced earlier this year to 18 years in prison in connection with the scheme.
Texas Rep. Flores keeps office until term expires
Texas State Rep. Kino Flores gets to stay in office until his term expires despite his conviction on felony ethics charges.
That's because there is no law or rule that prohibits convicted felons from serving in the state House if they are convicted while in office.
That means Flores, a Democrat from Palmview, can still collect his taxpayer-funded $600-a-month state salary, receive state benefits and control a legislative office budget.
It won't last long. Flores' term expires Jan. 11. And his felony conviction prevents him from voting or running for public office while on probation.
Flores was sentenced to five years probation on Monday. Prosecutors told the Austin American-Statesman they didn't ask him to resign because they will want him to file financial disclosure forms with state officials.
North Texas woman found unharmed after abduction
Three men are in custody over a North Texas woman snatched during a staged car accident and freed unharmed hundreds of miles away after being forced to drive to New Mexico.
The Texas Department of Public Safety says two suspects who were sought since Eileen Loskot of Double Oak was freed late Thursday surrendered to the FBI in Albuquerque, N.M., on Friday. DPS identified them as 17-year-old Nathaniel Williams and 19-year-old Edwards Muckelroy Jr.
Double Oak Police Chief Derrick Watson early Friday announced one person was arrested and Loskot was safe after being abducted nearly 24 hours earlier, as she returned from work in Dallas, in an apparent random robbery. Loskot safety drove herself to Vega, in the Texas Panhandle, after being freed.
Matthew Aaron Casaus was jailed without bond Friday on an aggravated kidnapping charge.
DFW Airport normal, suspicious package gone
Normal operations have resumed at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport after officials evacuated a portion of Terminal D because of a suspicious package.
An airport spokesman says authorities used a robot to safely remove the package on Friday and take it off site.
He says the package was not immediately opened as officials were trying to reach the sender or recipient.
The package, which was in a shipping company's drop box inside Terminal D, was making a vibrating noise. An area of about five gates near the center of Terminal D was evacuated.
The whole incident lasted more than two hours. Officials sounded the all clear at 1:30 p.m.