JP Facing 20 Years|for Taking a $250 Bribe

LAREDO, Texas (CN) - A South Texas justice of the peace faces up to 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to taking a $250 bribe.

Ricardo Rangel, a Webb County justice of the peace, pleaded guilty to extortion on Sept. 4.

"Rangel, 48, of Laredo, admitted that on or about March 25, 2012, he accepted a bribe while he was acting in his official capacity as a justice of the peace," the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a statement.

"Specifically, he accepted $250 from a bail bondsman in exchange for granting a $1,000 surety bail bond on an individual who had been arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated."

U.S. District Judge Diana Saldan?a let Rangel out on bond. His sentencing date has not yet been set.

Rangel could also be fined $250,000.

Laredo is the seat of Webb County.

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