Former South Texas Sheriff Pleads Guilty To Money Laundering

McALLEN, Texas (AP) — A former South Texas sheriff whose office has attracted the attention of federal investigators has pleaded guilty to money laundering.

Lupe Trevino (treh-VEEN'-yoh) appeared in federal court Monday and is facing a 20-year sentence. He resigned about two weeks ago as sheriff of Hidalgo County.

The Monitor newspaper in McAllen reports (http://bit.ly/1qWKOOV ) Trevino admitted Monday to laundering campaign contributions that were tied to a convicted drug trafficker.

His plea comes three days after his former chief of staff, Maria Patricia Medina, pleaded guilty to a federal count of failing to report a crime.

Federal investigators say Trevino in 2011 and 2012 received cash donations from the trafficker. They contend Medina helped Trevino conceal the donations by falsifying election records.

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Information from: The Monitor, http://www.themonitor.com

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