6 guilty pleas in bribery scheme involving Mexican contracts

HOUSTON – Federal authorities say six people have pleaded guilty in a $2 million bribery scheme involving Mexican officials securing aircraft maintenance and repair contracts with Mexican government-owned and controlled entities.

Prosecutors in Houston and San Antonio say charges and plea agreements unsealed Tuesday show the bribes were paid to several different foreign officials either by wire transfer or checks to accounts with Mexican government-owned customers. The scheme began in 2006 and guilty pleas have been taken since October.

Awaiting sentencing in 2017 are 55-year-old Douglas Ray, of Magnolia; 54-year-old Victor Hugo Valdez Pinon, a citizen of Mexico; Kamta Ramnarine and Daniel Perez, both 69, of Brownsville; and 55-year-old Ernesto Hernandez Montemayor and 58-year-old Ramiro Ascencio Nevarez, both Mexican citizens and identified as previous officials of unspecified Mexican state government entities.