SHERMAN, Texas - Two Collin County, Texas men, including the former mayor of the city of Melissa, have pleaded guilty in connection with a bribery scheme in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales.
David E. Dorman, 66, of Melissa, Texas, pleaded guilty to an Information charging him with mail fraud today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Amos Mazzant. John Christie, 65, of Frisco, Texas, pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony on Jan. 4, 2013, before Judge Mazzant.
According to information presented in court, in 2007, Dorman, then mayor of the city of Melissa, solicited a $70,000 bribe from Christie in exchange for arranging for the city of Melissa to annex a portion of land from the city of McKinney, Texas, in order for Christie to develop and sell the land to potential customers. Based on a letter from Dorman, the cities of Melissa and McKinney approved the annexation and in exchange, Christie made one $10,000 cash payment and two $10,000 payments by check to Dorman. The men were initially named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury on Sep. 12, 2012.
Dorman faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Christie faces up to three years in federal prison for his role in the scheme. Sentencing dates have not been set.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shamoil T. Shipchandler.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
