2 ex-West Texas public officials sentenced in bribery scheme

PECOS, Texas (AP) — A federal judge in West Texas has sentenced two former public officials to prison for accepting bribes in awarding a document management system to a company.

Judge David Counts on Tuesday sentenced 67-year-old Carlos Eduardo Nieto to two and a half years in prison and 57-year-old Lorenzo Padilla (pah-DEE’-yah) Hernandez to two years. Each is also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.

Nieto was a special projects coordinator for the city of Presidio and served on the board for the Presidio school district. He pleaded guilty in October to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud and deprivation of honest services.

Hernandez was a commissioner for Presidio County. He pleaded guilty in August to the same charge.

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Prosecutors say they used their positions of influence to direct the contract to the unnamed company.