Comments on Current Events In Criminal Law from the Federal Criminal Courts in Texas

February 04, 2008

SAN ANTONIO DOCTOR SENTENCED ON FEDERAL CHARGES OF BRIBING A PUBLIC OFFICIAL

United States Attorney Johnny Sutton announced today that U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez sentenced Samuel M. Theagene, M.D., to 97 months in federal prison for his earlier conviction of bribery of a public official and three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.

On September 26, 2007, a federal jury in San Antonio found that between October 3, 2006, and February 21, 2007, Theagene, president of the Pain and Neuromuscular Clinic of Texas, P.A., paid a Revenue Officer of the Internal Revenue Service $16,500 in United States currency to absolve his tax liabilities. The investigation began in October of 2006, when the Defendant sent $500 cash to the Internal Revenue Officer working on the collections case. Attached to the five one hundred dollar bills was a note which read “A Token.” Thereafter, the Defendant offered to pay the Revenue Officer 10% of the approximate $160,000 business tax liability to eliminate the debt. Between October of 2006 and February 2007, the Defendant paid the Revenue Officer cash installments of $1500, $5000, $5000 and $4500. At one of the meetings, the Defendant asked for forgiveness of his personal tax liability as well. All of the payments were made by the Defendant to the Revenue Officer in area restaurants.

This case was investigated by the Department of Treasury’s Inspector General for Tax Administration and was prosecuted for the government by Assistant United States Attorneys Judith A. Patton and Jim Blankinship.

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