Morales brother pleads guilty
Posted on 01/31/2003 4:14:16 AM PST by MeekOneGOP
Morales brother pleads guilty
He'll be sentenced in April for trying to blackmail Sanchez
01/31/2003
AUSTIN - The brother of former state Attorney General Dan Morales pleaded guilty Thursday to trying to blackmail Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tony Sanchez out of $280,000 last fall.
"We're here to stand up and accept full responsibility for this thing," said Michael Morales, 40, a San Antonio recording producer who faces a probable two-year federal prison sentence. "I look forward to my productive life of making music and getting this behind us."
Moments earlier Mr. Morales was released on bond after admitting he was "Wendel Smith," the caller who threatened to reveal allegations - never substantiated - that Mr. Sanchez committed a crime in the late 1960s.
Mr. Morales and his lawyer did not provide a reason for the extortion, other than to say he was not in it for the money.
They suggested that Mr. Morales was moved by sympathy for the person who brought him information about Mr. Sanchez that was the basis for the threat, and promised a fuller explanation at his sentencing by U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks on April 11.
"Sometimes your heart just gets over your head, and in this case I didn't exercise extremely good judgment," Mr. Morales said.
U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton said the crime was especially bad because it threatened to disrupt the governor's race.
"Extortion or blackmail is always wrong," he said. "It is especially despicable when it is intended to affect an election."
Dan Morales, who was beaten by Mr. Sanchez after a heated Democratic primary, has said the allegation against Mr. Sanchez was brought to his campaign's attention during that race. But he said he declined to use it because it could not be adequately corroborated by his investigators.
Michael Morales worked on his brother's campaign and had access to the investigative file.
The Sanchez campaign alerted authorities about the calls, and the court proceedings Thursday revealed for the first time how much evidence FBI agents had against Mr. Morales.
Mr. Morales admitted the facts as outlined in a government narrative:
After the last in a series calls by the extortionist to the Sanchez campaign, FBI agents executed a search warrant on Mr. Morales' studio on Oct. 21, just as he was preparing to re-fax a letter detailing the threat to Mr. Sanchez's campaign manager. Among the items they seized was a document written by Mr. Morales in which he described the extortion attempt in detail.
In Mr. Morales' wallet, they found the calling card used to make the phone threats and send faxed notes to the Sanchez campaign. In those notes, Mr. Morales described an apparently fabricated individual named Stuart, whom he described as the intended recipient of the payoff.
Mr. Morales, who is expected to get the maximum prison term, insisted through his lawyer that he acted alone.
"There isn't anybody else involved in this case," said defense attorney John Pinckney.
Glenn Smith, the Sanchez campaign manager, expressed doubts about that.
"I don't have any way of knowing who was involved in it," he said. "Based on my years of experience, I know that these kinds of acts very seldom happen in a vacuum. Lone Rangers are few and far between."
Well, actually I'm more interested in seeing the sealed records on the alleged crime that Sanchez committed.
Give it to me!
"We're here to stand up and accept full responsibility for this thing," said Michael Morales, 40, a San Antonio recording producer who faces a probable two-year federal prison sentence. "I look forward to my productive life of making music and getting this behind us."
Moments earlier Mr. Morales was released on bond after admitting he was "Wendel Smith," the caller who threatened to reveal allegations - never substantiated - that Mr. Sanchez committed a crime in the late 1960s.
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