Consultants close to Rep. Henry Cuellar plead guilty to conspiracy

An adjutant to Rep. Henry Cuellar and a governmental and business advisor person agreed to plead blameworthy to colluding to thief nan Democratic congressman from Texas launder much than $200,000 successful bribes and to assistance prosecutors successful a national criminal investigation, according to tribunal documents unsealed this week. 

Federal tribunal records show Mina Colin Strother, Cuellar's erstwhile legislature aide, and Florencio "Lencho" Rendon, a governmental and business strategist, entered blameworthy pleas successful March. Rendon and Strother some pleaded blameworthy to conspiracy to perpetrate money laundering, facing up to 20 years successful situation and up to 5 years successful prison, respectively, and fines. Their plea deals besides guarantee their practice successful nan Justice Department's investigation into Cuellar and his wife.  

The San Antonio Express-News first reported nan blameworthy pleas. 

Cuellar and his wife, Imelda Rios Cuellar, have been indicted connected much than a twelve charges alleging they accepted adjacent to $600,000 successful bribes from a Mexican slope and an lipid institution owned by nan authorities of Azerbaijan, successful speech for promoting nan slope and power company's interests. Federal prosecutors allege nan bribes were laundered successful nan shape of sham consulting contracts done beforehand companies and middlemen into ammunition companies owned by Imelda Cuellar. The congressman's wife, according to nan indictment, "performed small aliases nary legitimate" activity nether nan consulting contracts.

Rendon knew nan statement was a "sham consulting contract" and that nan payments of $15,000 per period were made to chimney money to Cuellar, Rendon's plea statement said.

Rendon would nonstop $11,000 a period to Strother, who would successful move transportation monthly payments to nan Cuellars of $10,000. From March 2016 to February 2018, Strother transferred astir $215,000 to nan Cuellars, according to tribunal filings. 

The Cuellars person pleaded not guilty, and were released connected an unsecured bond. Cuellar has publically insisted connected his innocence. 

— Rob Legare and Melissa Quinn contributed to this report