Free Republic

AUSTIN — A lawyer, adviser and friend to former state Attorney General Dan Morales was sentenced to six months in prison today for a fraud that, aided by the politician, would have enabled the attorney to cash in on the state's billion-dollar lawsuit against tobacco providers. Marc Murr's sentencing formally closed the federal case that earlier this year put Morales behind bars for participating in the scheme to divert funds from the tobacco settlement in 1998 and for not declaring campaign funds on his tax return in 1999. Murr, 47, months ago pleaded to one count of mail fraud as...

Former attorney general to serve time in Texarkana Associated Press AUSTIN (AP) - Former Texas Attorney General Dan Morales, who was sentenced to prison last month after pleading guilty to mail and tax fraud, has been transferred to a federal prison in Texarkana to serve four years. Morales had been held in the Caldwell County Jail in Lockhart since his sentencing Oct. 31. Caldwell County Sheriff Daniel Law confirmed Monday that Morales was transferred Friday, the Austin American-Statesman reported in its online edition. Carla Wilson, a spokeswoman for the federal Bureau of Prisons in Washington, said Morales was moved to...