After an afternoon of deliberations, the federal jury found her guilty on all charges. A pres-sentence hearing is set for January 19. Sentencing is set for February 9.
She faces up to 45 years in prison and a fine that could total $2 million, in addition to any funds subject to forfeiture.
Lawyers close to the government investigators say that possibility of another indictment being unsealed against other defendants is likely.
The jury started deliberations at about 12:30 p.m. today after eight-days of testimony. Atkinson showed no emotion when the verdict was announced.
The government charged Atkinson, a Brownsville Independent School District board member, with eight counts of bribery, conspiracy to commit bribery and violation of the state travel act bribery statutes
She was recorded asking for and accepting a $10,000 bribe for her assistance in a film project that was to take place at Sams Memorial Stadium. She said she shared $2,000 with BISD chair Mineva Peña by donating it to a charity where she was the public relations director. She did not specify what the $2,000 she said she gave trustee Phil Cowen was used for.
Lawyers close to the government investigators say that possibility of another indictment being unsealed against other defendants is likely.
During her testimony, Atkinson said 404th District Judge Elia Cornejo-Lopez offered her $5,000 to convince other board members to settle a $1 billion civil rights violation lawsuit in federal court. Prosecutors said Atkinson had offered to wear a wire to record incriminating conversations with the district judge whose term end January 2021.
They told her it was too late to make any deals.
A similar offer to trustee Laura Perez-Reyes was turned down, she testified.
17 comments:
Let the dominos fall where they have to fall. If more people needs to be indicated, let it be. Need to clean the city of all the corruption. If you want to make money, make it the right way, hard work.
Martha Stewart was in prison for 5 months for protecting $45,000 dollars.
White-collar crime: motivation is financial (deceit, concealment, violation of trust)
Please, help this lady. Her friends should help her.
Just like she helped so many of the BISD employees??????
You have got to be kidding. Blogger at 5:39
This is chicken feed compared to the THIEVERY at PUB.Feds roll up your sleeves and take a GOOD gander at what happened to the 10s of millions of dls missing of rate payers monies that the brownsville city commission are trying to hide.
Why wouldn’t they pursue the Judge if she was willing to bribe the board as well? Take them all down!
A deal is coming with Atkinson with the Fed's and she is going to spill the beans on the other board members and any other people in these BISD/TSC kickbacks. Where 🤔 are her friends, these so called friends couldn't come to court because these so called friends had their hands in the cookie jar too. Atkinson will get 6 months and probation if she takes all her so called friends down the sewer. Happy sailing
Folks we all know there were other players, just like with the Fajita bandit over at cameron county, laura reyes, judge cornhole cornejo, minnie mouse pena, cowen and the list goes on, plus all the KING RATS at PUB, hope others will face their fate or wrath in the very near future. FBI folks time to clean up brownsville and cameron county, just do your job and get them all.
Promise Made, Promise Kept:
Trump Said He Would Cheat, And He’s Now Trying To Do So
Just the tip of the iceberg. Lots of browntown’s fine citizens shitting a brick right now. It would be funny if she turned on her brother also.
Atkinson jas been known a thief, bully, and liar for years, colluding wothers just like her. If she gets off light, no deterrence for more. To end valley corruption you need to scare perps to stop them. Justice demands a harsh example now. And for her accomplices, the same.
Sylvia, Karma is a Bitch right?
I cannot say that any of this is a surprise to anyone; after all, she has been seeking power ever since she got into BISD. The first thing she did after getting her Social Studies Composite was go straight to Administration a year later. God forbid she has to deal with such pedestrian things like students; after all, she has to be the boss. This attitude went well beyond the confines of BISD, especially if anyone ever saw her at a restaurant screaming at the waiters and being overall obnoxious. In the end, the voters either do not know / care who runs for school board that keep electing people like this.
Unfortunately, one blog and a newspaper article won’t be enough to inform the masses on people like this. I bet you can go to Sunrise Mall and ask a random person if they know who Sylvia is and you might just get a blank stare.
Now the fun begins! The Judge has ordered a Pre-Sentence report in which the FBI will do a deep dive into her life, from top to bottom and report the results back to the judge. Then there is the Prosecutions Sentencing Recommendation. When those two things are done, she will know her fate.
There is nothing she can do about the FBI report, but she can lesson the sentencing recommendation by helping the Feds net other corrupt fish. Expect that to happen. There are many corrupt fish in our local pond and a few of the will be put in the Federal boat and others will be passed off to the Texas Attorney General for state action.
Is Adela Garza and Elia Conejo Lopez next? Feds will be un-sealing indictments real soon!
TIME TO REVIEW APPLICATIONS OF PEOPLE THAT WORK AT BISD TO SEE IF THEY QUALIFY WE KNOW OF A FEW!!! FIRE ALL OF OF THEM. NOW!!!
Was she cuffed and sent to carrizales? We want to know.
I just hope that there is more proof than atkinson' carpet munching mouth to indict that fat pig in cornhole? Everyone in Cameron County who is into the politics and inside of the Brownsville circle know that this fat pig has bullied her way into getting what she wants be it financial or personal gratification. I guess we know why the fat pig decided to retire from the bench instead of being ousted if indicted? Kinda sounds like that short POS in daniel robles who thought he was going to be rounded up with the Limas fiasco?
Keeping my fingers crossed that this fat pig gets a visit or turns herself in with her attorney, of course!
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