Uresti gets 12 years for fraud
Former state senator also must pay $6.3M in restitution to victims.
Former state Sen. Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio, was sentenced Tuesday to 12 years in prison for his roles in defrauding investors in an oil field services company.
He was ordered to pay $6.3 million in restitution to victims and faces three years probation, after he is released, for each of 11 felony counts. But Uresti remains free on bond until the end of his next trial, which starts Oct. 22.
Uresti, 54, gave a lengthy statement at his sentencing and apologized to each of his victims at the John H. Wood Jr. Federal Courthouse in San Antonio.
“I truly feel remorseful, ashamed, disappointed, disgraced, angry at myself and sad,” Uresti said. “Your honor, you are correct. I should have known. I should have asked more questions. I should have stepped up.”
He said that after his conviction, he tried to rationalize and wrongly blamed everyone but himself.
“There’s no one to blame but me. All my life I had direction and purpose. I lost that direction and purpose. Instead I followed opportunity.”
The sentencing hearing got started at about 2:40 p.m. to a packed courtroom. More than 30 family members and friends of Uresti arrived at the courthouse hours before the hearing. Many donned blue ribbons and blue rubber wrist bands with Uresti’s name and “Blue Ribbon Task Force,” which he had a hand in creating while in the Legislature to combat child abuse.
Uresti entered the courtroom with his attorney Michael McCrum. Uresti, wearing a navy blue suit and blue tie, shook hands with his sons and brother, state Rep. Tomas Uresti.