Former Insurance Company CEO Wants to Withdraw Guilty Plea

A former insurance company chief executive wants to withdraw his guilty plea to bribing El Paso, Texas-area public officials, a plea that brought him an eight-year prison sentence.

Prosecutors say Francisco Apodaca made the payments in return for contracts with his company.

The El Paso Times reports Apodaca wants to withdraw his plea and go to trial because his previous attorneys didn’t discuss potential conflicts of interest with him, and no issues were raised by the court.

Apodaca pleaded guilty last year to bribing El Paso County commissioners and local school district trustees for their business. He was among 13 officials and local businessmen indicted in a sweeping federal investigation of public corruption in El Paso County.