Uresti resigns from state Senate

Former state Sen. Carlos Uresti is scheduled to be sentenced today for his guilty plea to conspiring with others to pay and accept bribes to secure a West Texas correctional medical services contract for a company run by a Lubbock businessman. He faces up to five years in prison. Uresti is shown following his conviction in an unrelated case last year. less Former state Sen. Carlos Uresti is scheduled to be sentenced today for his guilty plea to conspiring with others to pay and accept bribes to secure a West Texas correctional medical services contract for a ... more Photo: Jerry Lara /Staff File Photo Photo: Jerry Lara /Staff File Photo Image 1 of / 29 Caption Close Uresti resigns from state Senate 1 / 29 Back to Gallery

Uresti is scheduled to be sentenced June 26 after being found guilty in February by a federal jury on 11 felony charges in connection with his involvement in a now-defunct San Antonio oilfield-services company that defrauded investors.

Uresti has indicated he will appeal his conviction.

“The recent events have had a significant impact on my life, my family and my constituents,” Uresti said in his resignation statement. “I need to attend to my personal matters and properly care for my family. So, keeping in mind the best interests of my constituents and my family, I believe it to be most prudent that I step down from my elected office to focus on these important issues.”

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It’s an unceremonious end to Uresti’s more than two-decade-long political career, first in the state House and then the state Senate.

The San Antonio Democrat has headed a mini-political dynasty on the South Side, with brothers state Rep. Tomas Uresti and Albert Uresti, Bexar’s tax assessor-collector, following him into public office. Less than two weeks after Uresti’s conviction, though, the incumbent Tomas Uresti was defeated by Leo Pacheco in the March primary.

Carlos Uresti, 54, said he is asking Gov. Greg Abbott to call a special election in November to fill the vacant Senate District 19 seat. His term was set to end in January 2021.

“The District has had somewhat of a disadvantage as this as has been going forward and I think people deserve to have their voice, and have a strong voice,” said former U.S. Rep. Pete Gallego, a Democrat who has entered the race to succeed Uresti. “The sooner that happens, the better.”

Democratic state Rep. Roland Gutierrez, who also is vying for the seat, said in a statement that Uresti’s resignation “means one of the saddest, most embarrassing stories of Texas politics finally comes to an end.” He used the statement as a fundraising call for his campaign.

Uresti was convicted of defrauding investors in FourWinds Logistics, which bought and sold sand used in fracking for oil production before it collapsed in 2015. He served as the company’s outside general counsel, held a 1 percent ownership interest and recruited investors.

The lawmaker has maintained his innocence, but his indictment and subsequent conviction cast a long shadow over his career.

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“During the last year some of the media has been unfair, inaccurate, or sensational when it was hurtful, not necessary or simply not true,” Uresti said in announcing his resignation. “Nonetheless, I know what I did and what I did not do.

“It has always been my intention to do what was right for the constituents of District 19 and for Texas,” he added. “To the extent any of you feel I let you down, please grant me forgiveness.”

Uresti is staring at a prison sentence that could range from eight to 12 years, some attorneys have told the San Antonio Express-News. Plus, prosecutors say he could owe more than $3 million in restitution to his victims.

Meanwhile, Uresti is scheduled to stand trial in October in a separate case where he’s accused of splitting $850,000 in bribe payments with a county judge in Reeves County over a medical services contract at a jail in West Texas. Uresti has denied the charges.

For complete coverage of Uresti’s resignation and upcoming sentencing on federal charges, see Tuesday’s front page or click here to visit our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com.

Patrick Danner is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of his stories here. | pdanner@express-news.net | Twitter: @AlamoPD