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Mar 21, 2008 1:33 pm US/Central
Jack Potashnik Pleads Guilty To Tax Evasion
Reporting
Jack Fink
DALLAS (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
A suspect linked to the Dallas City Hall scandal has pleaded guilty to evading taxes.
The plea came from Jack Potashnik. He's the father of developer Brian Potashnik, who along with his wife Cheryl, stand accused of bribing a number of local and state officials.
Brian and wife Cheryl are accused of bribing former May Pro Tem Don Hill, former Dallas Plan Commissioner D'Angelo Lee and current State Representative Terri Hodge. The couple ran Southwest Housing and is accused of bribing local officials in exchange for their approval to build low income housing and the lucrative tax credits and fees that go along with them.
During a press conference last year U.S. Attorney Richard Roper told reporters, "These developers would bribe the public officials to garner their support so these projects could be built and the tax benefits and development fees obtained."
Representative Hodge is now asking the federal judge to separate her case from those of 14 other defendants who were indicted on charges that stemmed from a federal investigation into alleged wrongdoing at Dallas City Hall.
Hodge says she will be in Austin during next January's trial. No decision has been made regarding the request.
Former Dallas City Councilman James Fantroy was named in a separate indictment. He was accused of taking federal grant money intended for Paul Quinn College. In late February, a jury took only 40 minutes to find him guilty of embezzlement.
Fantroy, who uses a wheelchair and has kidney cancer, faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing will take place later.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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