Defendants in Weslaco Bribery Case Fight to Overturn Convictions and Sentences

Two Men Convicted of Fraud in Multi-Million Dollar Scandal Appeal for New Trial

Arturo “A.C.” Cuellar and Ricardo “Rick” Quintanilla, both convicted in 2022 of defrauding the city of Weslaco out of millions of dollars during a $42.5 million infrastructure project, are now seeking to overturn their convictions and sentences.

Presenting their case before a three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, the two men are hoping for a favorable outcome that would result in a new trial or, at the very least, a re-sentencing.

In 2022, a jury found Cuellar and Quintanilla guilty of 70 counts of bribery, money laundering, and wire fraud, implicating several other individuals and companies involved in the project.

Cuellar received a 20-year prison sentence, while Quintanilla was handed nearly 17 years behind bars in January 2023. Additionally, they were jointly held liable for $4.1 million in restitution.

Key Arguments in the Appeal:

• Prosecutors allegedly altered the indictment, allowing the jury to convict based on facts not presented to the grand jury.
• Prosecutors failed to include a critical element of the crime, according to Cuellar’s attorney.
• Timing of payments to officials was argued to be crucial in determining bribery vs. gratuity.
• Violation of the defendants’ right to confront their accuser through the use of recorded conversations.
• Allegations of judicial bias and impropriety regarding the presiding judge.

What do you think?

• Should the convictions be overturned based on the arguments presented?
• Do you believe the judge displayed bias during the trial?
• Was the sentencing fair given the circumstances of the case?