HOUSTON – A 54-year-old man had pleaded guilty to extortion under color of law, U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani announced Friday.
Patrick Gorena, of Lyford, was a border investigator for Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, according to the release.
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As part of his plea, Gorena admitted that when auditing a trucking company, he did not report safety violations that would have exposed the company to potential fines and the loss of their DOT license. In return, Gorena demanded $3,500, according to prosecutors.
However, prosecutors said he ultimately accepted $2,000 from an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a representative of the trucking company.
Gorena faces up to 20 years in prison.
He was permitted to remain on bond pending his hearing for sentencing.