Former Edinburg councilman pleads not guilty to federal bribery charges
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A former councilman with the city of Edinburg is out on bond after he pleaded not guilty to federal charges of bribery and racketeering, court records show.
Jorge “Coach” Salinas appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker Friday morning.
The indictment against Salinas accuses him of accepting bribes between June 2019 to March 2020 in exchange for votes in favor of a contract for a business owned by an Edinburg business owner.
An unnamed Edinburg elected official was also involved in the scheme, the indictment alleges.
Salinas served as an Edinburg city councilman from 2017 to 2021.
Court records show Salinas pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on a $50,000 bond.
If he is convicted on the charges, Salinas is subject to forfeiture of $47,235, the indictment states.
Channel 5 News reached out to the city of Edinburg for comment regarding Salinas' arrest. Edinburg Director of Communications Roxanne Lerma issued the following statement in full:
"The City of Edinburg administration became aware this morning through media reports of an indictment against a former council member. The City is not aware of any other details and is therefore unable to comment on the matter."
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