Former Texas police chief gets 15 1/2 years for bribery

SAN ANGELO, Texas (AP) — A former West Texas police chief was sentenced Friday to 15 1/2 years in prison for taking bribes for a multimillion-dollar contract for a city vendor.

A federal judge sentenced former San Angelo police Chief Timothy Ray Vasquez, 52, in San Angelo after a jury in March convicted him of bribery and mail fraud. U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix also fined Vasquez $35,000.

Vasquez was police chief from 2004 to 2016 before losing a bid for reelection while targeted by federal investigators. He was indicted in January 2020.

Federal prosecutors presented evidence that Vasquez used his position as police chief to help a radio system vendor land a city contract worth almost $6 million. In return, the vendor paid more than $175,000 to Vasquez and provided him with the use of luxury suites at sporting events and a rock concert, as well as a San Antonio condo.

Vasquez could have been sentenced to up to 70 years in prison.