4 more ‘Poisoned Pawns’ to be sentenced this summer, 1 to go to trial
Six of 11 people have been sentenced as part of the federal government’s Operation Poisoned Pawns corruption case.
The four sentenced on Tuesday are part of a group of 11 El Pasoans who turned themselves in to the FBI in September 2010 after they were indicted that same week on federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations or RICO charges.
The case centers around Access HealthSource and its contracts with El Paso County and three school districts from 1998-2007.
The school districts were El Paso Independent School District, Ysleta Independent School District, and Socorro Independent School District. The indictment states there was a pattern of racketeering mail fraud and wire fraud.
RICO indictments returned in September 2010:
Charges: Frank Apodaca Jr and Marc Schwartz with two counts of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and deprivation of honest services, two counts of mail fraud, two counts of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
Charges: Larry Medina with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and deprivation of honest services and one count of mail fraud.
Luther Jones, Gilbert Sanchez, David Escobar, Mickey Duntley, Ray Rodriguez with one count each of conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
Charges: Willie Gandara Sr. and Linda Chavez with one count each of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
Sentences and those awaiting sentencing
Linda Chavez, former Ysleta Independent School District trustee, five years probation, 30 days in a halfway house, and $9,000 restitution.
Milton “Mickey” Duntley, former Ysleta Independent School District trustee, 41 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and , $30,000 restitution — $20,000 of which he paid by check on Tuesday.
David Escobar, former cty represenative and attorney, 41 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and $42,000 restitution and fined $10,000.
Larry Medina, former county commissioner and city representative, 16 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and fined $56,000 and $100,000 restitution.
Luther Jones, former county judge and attorney for Access, sentenced to five years in prison (concurrent with another sentence), three years probation, and $250,000 restitution to Ysleta Independent School District.
Gilbert Sanchez, former district clerk and son of Socorro Independent School, sentenced to two years in prison, three years probation, and $5,000 in restitution.
Frank Apodaca Jr., former CEO of Access, scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 14.
Charlie Garcia, former Socorro Independent School District trustee, scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 14.
Marc Schwartz, former Access public relations consultant, scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 14.
Ray Rodriguez, former Socorro Independent School District trustee, scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 14.
Willie Gandara Sr. former Socorro Independent School District trustee, scheduled to go to trial July 22.
