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LAS VEGAS, N.M. (AP) — A former northern New Mexico mayor has been ordered to apologize to Las Vegas city officials and contractors as part of her sentence in a corruption case.
District Judge Abigail Aragon on Friday ordered ex-Mayor Tonita Gurule-Giron to publicly apologize and write letters of apology to city employees and contractors impacted by her interfering in city contracts to benefit her boyfriend.
Aragon also sentenced Gurule-Giron to 18 months probation and ordered her to complete 40 hours of community service and pay $1,000 in restitution.
A jury in May convicted Gurole-Giron of two felony charges — violation of ethical principles of service and soliciting or receiving illegal kickbacks.
However, Aragon ruled that the two charges were too similar and constituted double jeopardy, so she sentenced Gurule-Giron on only one of them.
Attorney General Hector Balderas told the Las Vegas Optic that he was disappointed that Gurule-Giron received a probation term instead of the three-year prison sentence sought by prosecutors.
Gurole-Giron’s defense requested six months probation and no restitution, citing her lack of criminal history and non-violent offense.
Gurule-Giron served as Las Vegas’ mayor from 2016 until her resignation in January 2020, after charges were filed in December 2019 following lengthy investigation by the Attorney General’s Office.