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Laredo’s Ex-Mayor Gets Four YearsBy DAVID CROWDERPointing to the need for deterrence against corruption in government. Chief U.S. District Judge Reynaldo Garza this morning sentenced former Laredo mayor J.P. Pepe” Martin to foir years in federal prison.The sentence was one year short of the maximum allowable for the mail fraud offense to which Martin pleaded giilty on May 22. Garza also levied a $1,000 fine and suggested strongly that Martin return $237,838 in City of Laredo finds he illegally obtained over the past five years Under a plea bargain arranged with U.S. prosecutors. Martin, 65, was allowed to plead guilty to the theft by mail fraud of aroind $250 in city funds which he used to purchase paint supplies for his property “This is only a pittance of what you received in the last five years, Garza noted during a stem lecture he delivered to MartinSpeaking in a hushed tone barely audible to those in the courtroom audience, Garza termed the sentence “one of the hardest decisions I have had to make in 17 )*ars on the bench.“There is no question that you’ve done a lot of good for the city of Laredo, ' the judge told Martin, who served as the city’s major for 24 years and stepped down last fall after deciding not to run for re-election.An FBI investigation of Martin's activities over the last five years revealed that the mayor used $237,838 in city money for his own purposes, Garza said.“There is only one question now and that's why?'.” Garza said, addressing Martin.The judge ordered Martin to report to the Fort Worth Federal Corrections Institution on Oct 6 and gave him 30 days to pay the $1,000 fineGarza termed Martin's activities as one of the worst' instances of corruption he has seen in years andsaid that restitution by Martin and a probated sentence would not serve justice.If I was to just let him pay it back, it would just be a free ticket for other public officials to do that “We have to have a deterrence against political corruption,'' Garza arid, adding that the “Patron system” and political machine” in Laredo was not inlike that in other cities around the nation.Martin, the judge said, was responsible for that system in Laredo ”1 cannot order you to make restitution but if you should. I might look a favorably on a reduction of sentence,” Garza said, adding he has 120 days to amend the sentence.In remarks to the judge moments before sentencing, Martin's attorney Roy Barrera said the former mayor has the desire and intention to make restitution “ Barrera also said Martin has “recognised his wrongdoing and will do what he can to set it rightThe attorney asked for Garza's consideration of the “way of life and way of thinking which Martin inherited when he became mayor and pointed to the fact that Martin, among other thing, provided the city of Laredo with a public transportation system Garza said he was “completely aware of Martin's contributions to the city but noted that Martin owned and ran the bus system in Laredo “It doesn't look right to me for a mayor to be getting a franchise for public transportation it would seem a conflict of interest. Garza said Martin still faces trial in a Laredo state court on bribery charges involving services provided him by Central Power and Light Co. in exchange for his influence on rate hike requests Also named in that July 25 indictment was CPL and its District Manager Carlton WhitworthFIaaiI \frtiinf~
Newspaper Details
Brownsville Herald
Brownsville, Texas, US
Fri, Aug 04, 1978
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Texas A.
TX, USA 26 Nov 2023
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