HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Former Harris County Commissioner Jerry Eversole will not be going to prison. This morning, he was sentenced to three years probation for lying to federal investigators. Eversole, who served as a county commissioner for 20 years, was accused of accepting bribes from developer Michael Surface.
Former Precinct 4 Commissioner Jerry Eversole received three year probation in a case that could have landed him in prison for three years, and cost him $100,000 in fines.
The sentence is for lying to a federal investigator about lavish gifts the feds say he received over a period of years from Surface, in return for county contract votes and influence from the powerful commissioner.
"Well, the judge said that both Surface and Eversole got a good deal. I think because of the fact that he had never been convicted of a crime, his wife's health, that he had resigned from office," said Undercover investigator Wayne Dolcefino. "It's within the sentencing guidelines and Rusty Hardin may have said what may have been the federal government's biggest problem. He said, 'It was outrageous to try to incarcerate that you didn't have the guts to take to trial and get a conviction on."
Eversole stepped down in September of last year, and took a plea deal that means he cannot hold public office for 10 years. Surface also cut a deal, and today he also received three years probation for his role. Surface admitted only to filing an improper tax return, deducting around $80,000 in property and landscaping, given to Eversole in exchange for his influence.
The 'friendship' landed Surface five lucrative contracts. But as a condition of the deal, he cannot enter into county contracts for five years. Surface could have received up to six years in prison and a $250,000 fine, according to prosecutors, who asked Judge David Hittner for prison time for the defendants.
Now for his part, Surface told the judge he made 'a major error in judgment' and for that he said, 'I am deeply sorry.'
The case against Eversole began following a series of 13 Undercover investigations.
Stay with abc13.com and Eyewitness News for the very latest on the Eversole case.
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