A former El Paso County judge and a West Texas businessman were sentenced to federal prison in a public corruption case related to children.
Authorities say former El Paso County Judge Dolores Briones was sentenced Friday to two-and-a-half years for conspiring to embezzle federal program funds. She's required to pay $36,000 in restitution.
She has admitted conspiring with Ruben "Sonny" Garcia Jr., then president of L.K.G. Enterprises Inc., to accept bribes in exchange for help involving a federal grant.
Garcia was sentenced Friday to four years for conspiring to embezzle federal funds.
Garcia and LKG — ordered jointly and independently to pay about $1 million in restitution — were to evaluate the Border Children's Mental Health Collaboration but investigators say El Paso County was billed for work that wasn't done.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.