TEXAS
A Texas state district judge has been convicted of bribery and obstruction, federal prosecutors announced Thursday.
Following a six-day trial, Rodolfo “Rudy” Delgado, 65, of Edinburg, Texas, was convicted of one count of Conspiracy; three counts of Federal Program Bribery; three counts of Travel Act Bribery and one count of Obstruction of Justice.
Delgado was originally charged in January 2018 by complaint, and then indicted in February 2018.
Sentencing has been set for Sept. 25, 2019. Delgado was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.
“Corrupt judges can harm a community’s confidence in our judicial system,” said Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski. “Today’s verdict takes an important step toward restoring that confidence, and affirms that no one – especially not a judge – is above the law.”
Where they lacked in direct evidence of bribes in the period between 2008, and 2016, they made up for it with four video recordings that they presented to the jury, in which discussions between the two men appeared to indicate an agreement between the two about money in exchange for favors, according to The Herald.
“The bribery of a judge may be the worst break of the publics’ trust in government,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick. “Rudy Delgado used his position to enrich himself. He didn’t just tip the scales of justice, he knocked it over with a wad of cash and didn’t look back. Delgado’s actions unfairly tarnish all his former colleagues.”
Delgado is currently a justice in the Thirteenth Court of Appeals for the State of Texas.
(Rodolfo “Rudy” Delgado denied the federal allegations in 2018)
He was previously the presiding judge for the 93rd District Court for the State of Texas, which has jurisdiction over Texas criminal and civil cases located within Hidalgo County.
As a district judge, Delgado conspired with an attorney from January 2008 to November 2016 to accept bribes in exchange for favorable judicial consideration on criminal cases pending in his courtroom.
As part of an investigation conducted by the FBI, Delgado also accepted bribes on three separate occasions in exchange for agreeing to release three of the attorney’s clients on bond in cases pending before his court.
The first two bribes totaled approximately $520 in cash and the third bribe, which occurred in January 2018, totaled approximately $5,500 in cash.
After Delgado learned of the FBI’s investigation, he also attempted to obstruct justice by contacting the attorney and providing a false story about the payments.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Trial Attorney Peter Nothstein of the Criminal Divison’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Arthur “Rob” Jones and Robert Guerra are prosecuting the case.