A Laredo man has been sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for taking bribes from Mexican cattle traders.
Roberto Adams, 69, entered a guilty plea April 25, 2022, according to a June 1 U.S. Department of Justice news release. U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo ruled Adams must serve a total of 57 months in federal prison, followed immediately by three years of supervised release.
“It is critical that we do not allow corruption to infect positions of public trust, including inspectors at the port of entry,” U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani said in the release. “They are supposed to ensure the safety and integrity of the agricultural products passing into the United States. Adams put that system at risk. We hope this sentence serves as a deterrent to others thinking of violating their obligations.”
Adams acknowledged accepting more than $40,000 in bribe payments from Mexican livestock brokers while working in his official capacity as a lead animal health technician for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, according to the release. In exchange, he permitted livestock to enter the country unchecked or without the required quarantine.
Adams was in charge of checking and putting sick or infected livestock in quarantine or excluding them, the release reported. In Laredo, the USDA hired just two technicians, but he reportedly had significant decision-making power.
Because he accepted multiple bribe payments totaling more than $40,000 while holding a position of trust as an employee of the USDA, the sentence was increased, according to the release. Adams reportedly did not comprehend the seriousness of the act he committed or the significance of the harm he caused or may have caused by bringing ill livestock into the nation, the court stated in imposing the sentence. A $40,000 fine was also mandated for him to pay immediately.
The inquiry was carried out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the USDA’s Office of the Inspector General, the release said. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Winter was in charge of the prosecution.
