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Ex-South Texas Magistrate Gets Prison For Extortion

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LAREDO (AP) — A former South Texas justice of the peace was sentenced to more than 3 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to extortion and admitting to taking a bribe from a bail bondsman.

A federal judge in Laredo sentenced Ricardo Rangel, a former justice of the peace for Webb County Precinct 2, to 37 months in prison on Friday. U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana also sentenced former bail bondsman Juan Enrique Rodriguez to 13 months in prison for his guilty plea.

Rangel also was fined $5,000, while Rodriguez was fined $15,000.

Court documents show Rangel accepted a $250 bribe from Rodriguez in return for granting a $1,000 surety bail bond for a drunken-driving defendant.

(© Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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