Consultants close to Rep. Henry Cuellar plead guilty to conspiracy
CBSN
An aide to Rep. Henry Cuellar and a political and business consultant have agreed to plead guilty to conspiring to help the Democratic congressman from Texas launder more than $200,000 in bribes and to assist prosecutors in a federal criminal investigation, according to court documents unsealed this week.
Federal court records show Mina Colin Strother, Cuellar's former congressional aide, and Florencio "Lencho" Rendon, a political and business strategist, entered guilty pleas in March. Rendon and Strother both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering, facing up to 20 years in prison and up to five years in prison, respectively, and fines. Their plea deals also guarantee their cooperation in the Justice Department's investigation into Cuellar and his wife.
The San Antonio Express-News first reported the guilty pleas.
On Nov. 13, 2016, Dr. Eric "Scott" Sills, a renowned California fertility doctor, called 911 and reported finding his wife and business partner Susann Sills unresponsive at the bottom of the stairs. An initial investigation revealed some evidence that was consistent with an accidental fall. But as "48 Hours" correspondent Tracy Smith reports, other evidence pointed to something more sinister. DETECTIVE: How do you know she — she got an email? MARY-KATHERINE SILLS: I woke up and my dad was just like on the covers just laying there like there wasn't enough room to get in I guess. So, he was just laying there.