The former Starr County Attorney was sentenced Tuesday to 37 months in federal prison after accepting $44,000 in bribes, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District of Texas.

Victor Canales Jr., 51, pleaded guilty to a charge of extortion on Sept. 5, 2023. He was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.

According to a news release, Canales was the elected Starr County Attorney responsible for prosecuting misdemeanor crimes for 17 years starting in 2005. 

According to previous reports, Canales embezzled property and stole from federal programs while serving as Starr County Attorney.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Former Starr County attorney indicted on public corruption charges out on bond

“The court heard testimony from an auditor with the Texas Attorney General’s Office describing the cash deposits made into Canales’s personal accounts and his use of funds from the Starr County Attorney’s account,” the news release stated. “In imposing the sentence, the court determined the amount of the bribes at $44,000.”

In one instance, Canales attempted to have three misdemeanor charges against a man dropped after the man’s mother paid Canales $1,500. He deposited the money into his own checking account instead of depositing it into the Starr County account, the release added.

“Prosecutors of all stripes, whether at the federal, state or city level, are defined by an oath, one to serve and protect their communities. It’s an oath that seeks only one thing — justice,” U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani stated in the news release. “Victor Canales Jr. violated that oath and the trust of Starr County’s residents in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars in bribes. As an office of dedicated public servants, including 200 prosecutors, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District has little patience for corrupt officials, especially when a prosecutor trades his authority, his oath, for personal gain.”

Canales’ sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release.