JACKSON, Miss.- UPDATE: Texas businessman Mark Longoria, CEO of Drug Testing Corp. court date pushed back to August 3.
Officials say he sent nearly $230,000 to Cecil McCrory to be passed along to Epps in return for business contracts with the prison system.
Longoria
More charges have been filed in the former state Corrections Commissioner Christopher Epps’ federal corruption case, this time against an official with a Houston drug testing company.
A press release from U.S. Attorney Greg Davis’ office said officer of Drug Testing Corp., Mark Longoria, has been accused of giving bribes or kickbacks to Epps through his co-defendant Cecil McCrory and his company, Investigative Research Inc.
On August 2013 the Mississippi Department of Corrections awarded the company Drug Testing Corp. contracts to supply cups fro drug screening. Drug Testing Corp. sent MDOC an invoice for $632,336.25. Then in September they cut another check to McCrory’s company for $194,837.50.
The same thing happened in May of 2014. Drug Testing requested through invoice MDOC pay $149,940 and then in June they sent a check to McCrory’s office for $34,997.64.
Officials say Longoria will plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to pay bribes on Tuesday before a U.S. district judge.
Along with charges against a Houston man, wife of former state representative Bennett Malone, Teresa Malone was indicted on charges of conspiracy and bribery.
Malone
According to a press release Malone was paying kickbacks to Epps in exchange for consulting contracts with MDOC and it’s other operations.
She will appear before a judge on Wednesday, August 3rd. She faces the maximum penalty for the conspiracy charge which is 20 years in jail and a $250,000 fine, and for the bribery charge she could receive a 10 year sentence and a fine of $250,000.
Malone’s husband suddenly retired from his position as a State Representative, House Corrections Committee Chairmen, after Epps was indicted in February of 2015.
This is a developing story, for more information on the case please visit:
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