Former Alderman Medrano Convicted In Bribery Case
CHICAGO (CBS/AP) — A jury has convicted a former Chicago alderman of a single count of conspiracy to commit bribery.
Ambrosio Medrano showed no emotion as the verdict was read Monday, sitting at a defense table with his hands folded on his lap.
He faced federal charges accusing him of paying bribes he was told would be given to a Los Angeles official in order to secure a lucrative contract.
Medrano's lawyer calls it entrapment, but Federal Prosecutor Christopher Stettler says no, it is not.
"The FBI merely provided an opportunity for these individuals to do what they did. And in fact this was Ambrosio Medrano's idea from the very beginning to hatch this plan," said Stettler.
Jurors deliberated for about four or five hours before returning with their decision. Two businessmen tried with him were also convicted.
Medrano's conviction carries a maximum five-year prison sentence.
Former Alderman Medrano Convicted In Bribery Case
The case isn't Medrano's first run-in with the law. He spent nearly two years in prison after pleading guilty in 1996 in a federal investigation into payoffs to aldermen and other Chicago-area politicians.
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