Prison project involving developer was tinged

The Sahuarita Sun

The developer of a proposed federal detention center on the Tohono O’odham Nation also worked on a Texas facility whose development led to bribery convictions of three Texas county commissioners, one of whom was a consultant to the developer.

The project that galvanized Sahuarita residents into action is moving away from the site near Pima Mine Road, but the San Xavier District of the Tohono O’odham Nation is still planning to build it, District Chairman Austin Nunez said Tuesday in an e-mail.

“We are looking at lands generally in the northwest area of the San Xavier District - Tohono O’odham Nation. Support from the Tohono O’odham Nation for the northwest location was secured last week. Prior to that time we did not have it,” Nunez said.

The project is spearheaded by Corplan Corrections of Argyle, Texas, which has developed dozens of privately operated prisons across the country. Corplan President James Parkey confirmed that one of his contractors, David Cortez, a former Webb County (Texas) Commissioner, was convicted of federal bribery charges arising from the development of the Willacy County Regional Detention Facility in Raymondville, Texas. Parkey denied any wrongdoing on his part or that of his company.

Parkey said in an e-mail last week, “Mr. Cortez was one of thousands of subcontracts that have been hired by Corplan Corrections during the last 30 years of business operations.”

A Nov. 21, 2006, press release from the U.S. Attorney’s office in Brownsville, Texas, said Cortez admitted channeling money to two Willacy County commissioners who also were convicted from “a corporation involved in soliciting a consulting contract regarding the Center in Willacy County.”

Parkey said in the e-mail that “the corporation (named) is not Corplan! I have never been nor has any member of my corporation ever been interview by a Federal or State official in regard to your stated information surrounding Mr. Cortez and his sole admission of guilt.”

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