Former UTSA Projects Manager Sentenced to Federal Prison for his Role in Bribery Scheme

In San Antonio today, 43-year-old former University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) project manager James Paul Council was sentenced to 38 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for his role in a bribery scheme announced United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr., and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs of the FBI’s San Antonio Division.

On January 14, 2014, Council, a former project manager in the Facilities Department at UTSA, pleaded guilty to one count of bribery.  By pleading guilty, Council admitted to accepting $1,000 in U.S. Currency from individuals seeking to secure UTSA construction contracts worth more than $200,000.

Council’s co-defendants—50-year-old Alfredo Romero Gonzalez, owner of Power Source Electric, an electrical construction and repair business in San Antonio; 63-year-old Power Source Electric chief estimator and project manager Magin Villalon (a.k.a. “Buddy”); and, Villalon’s wife, 59-year-old Sarah Anne Luna—have all pleaded guilty to paying a bribe to Council in order to secure UTSA contracts.  In addition to sentencing Council this morning, United States District Judge Orlando Garcia sentenced: Gonzalez to 22 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release; Villalon, to 37 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release; and, Luna to two years probation. Judge Garcia also ordered that Council, Villalon and Gonzalez jointly and severally pay restitution to UTSA in the amount of $71,000.  Luna was ordered to pay $9,838.21 restitution to UTSA.

This case was investigated by special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation together with the San Antonio Police Department, UTSA Police Department, and UTSA auditors.  Assistant United States Attorney James Blankinship prosecuted this case on behalf of the Government.