Arizona
Former southern Arizona county assessor pleads guilty in bribery corruption case – KTAR.com
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — A former southern Arizona county official has pleaded responsible in a bribery corruption case wherein he took money and favors for decreasing assessed values of properties so the landowner would save on taxes.
Former Santa Cruz County Assessor Felipe Fuentes, 62, of Nogales might be sentenced to as much as 5 years in jail and fined $250,000 after pleading responsible Friday in U.S. District Courtroom to conspiracy to commit sincere companies wire fraud, in accordance with his plea settlement with prosecutors.
The plea settlement mentioned Fuentes admitted taking $20,000 in money funds and was given free use of a 17-acre (7-hectare) ranch property owned by one of many landowner’s entities
Courtroom paperwork recognized the landowner and one other particular person appearing on the landowner’s behalf solely as Particular person A and Particular person B.
“Property taxes pay for vital native authorities companies that help our communities,” United States Lawyer Gary Restaino mentioned in an announcement. “Fuentes abused the general public belief when he lowered the assessed worth of property, and by doing so diverted cash away from Santa Cruz County so as to serve his personal self-interest.”
Fuentes’s sentencing is about for Aug. 2.