The Dallas County schools bribery scandal has been one of the few government enforcement cases in North Texas that employed multiple white-collar criminal defense attorneys hungry for work.
But even this high-profile case in which nearly a dozen white-collar criminal defense attorneys represented two high-ranking Dallas city officials, a school superintendent and two businessmen, appears to be winding down.
On Monday, four-term Dallas City Councilman Larry Duncan, who also served as president of Dallas County Schools’ Board of Trustees, pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion.
Prominent Dallas white-collar defense lawyer Barry Sorrels represented Duncan.
Prosecutors will next present Duncan’s plea agreement to U.S. Chief Judge Barbara Lynn of the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Texas, where she can accept or reject the deal, which calls for Duncan to get a one-year prison term.
Duncan is the fifth person to be convicted in an alleged four-year-long bribery scam that funneled about $3 million from business leaders seeking lucrative contracts with the school system.
Erin Nealy Cox, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, says that Force Multiplier Solutions president Robert Leonard, who was pursuing lucrative stop-arm camera contracts with DCS, gave Duncan about $250,000 in campaign contributions. Prosecutors say Duncan used $184,726.03 for personal benefit, taking out cash withdrawals, passing on money to his wife, and even using funds to pay car-related expenses.
Former Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway pleaded guilty in August to conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud after the DCS investigation revealed that Mr. Leonard had funneled over $3 million in bribes to Caraway and Dallas County Schools Superintendent Ricky Sorrells.
Caraway was represented by Michael Payma, who is managing partner of Payma, Kuhnel & Smith. Dallas criminal defense attorneys Cynthia Barbare defended Sorrells.
Christopher Lewis at Crain Lewis Brogdon represented Leonard. Slater Swartwood, who operated the shell companies used to conceal the bribes, admitted in December 2017 to conspiring to launder money. Boston lawyer Max Stern defended Swartwood.
The prosecution team was led by assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Wirmani, Marcus Busch, Chad Meacham and Joseph Magliolo.