Lawyer, bondsman indicted in S. Texas judge case
By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN Associated Press © 2011 The Associated Press
June 22, 2011, 1:05PM

McALLEN, Texas — A federal judge unsealed indictments Wednesday against a South Texas attorney and a bondsman for allegedly bribing a former state district judge who has already pleaded guilty to racketeering.

Lawyer Ray Marchan and bondsman Francisco Cisneros appeared in U.S. District Court in Brownsville on Wednesday.

Marchan, 54, of Port Isabel, is accused of racketeering and conspiracy for several bribes amounting to more than $11,000 that he allegedly paid to former state district Judge Abel C. Limas in 2008, according to the indictment. Twice, the indictment says, Marchan paid Limas in order to be appointed as ad litem attorney in civil cases. The third instance was a case in which Limas denied another attorney's motion for sanctions in exchange for $5,000 from Marchan, according to the indictment.

Marchan, a Stanford law graduate, also faces related charges of aiding and abetting mail fraud and aiding and abetting extortion.

He pleaded not guilty and U.S. Magistrate Judge Felix Recio set bond at $100,000. Neither Marchan nor his attorney Noe Garza immediately returned calls for comment.

Limas pleaded guilty to racketeering in March. Jose Santiago "Jim" Solis, a former state lawmaker, pleaded guilty in April to aiding and abetting the extortion scheme.

Cisneros was charged with conspiracy to extort and aiding and abetting extortion for allegedly paying Limas $700 to reduce someone's bond. His arraignment was scheduled for Friday. He had not yet retained counsel and could not be reached for comment.

He is accused of paying the bribe for an illegal immigrant who had been sentenced in 2003 to two years in prison and five years of supervised release on a drug charge. In 2008, Cisneros paid Limas to have the immigrant's bond changed from $25,000 to personal recognizance, according to the indictment.

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