Former California Democratic Rep. T.J. Cox was released from jail following a plea deal reached just hours after being indicted by a federal grand jury on 28 charges of criminal fraud.
Cox pleaded not guilty to the charges of wire fraud, money laundering, financial fraud, and campaign contribution fraud, and he obtained conditional release from Fresno County Jail on Tuesday evening. As part of his release, Cox was ordered to surrender his passport, restrict travel within California, abstain from contact with any witnesses, limit intake of alcohol or drugs, and check in with pretrial monitoring officials, according to the Fresno Bee.
FORMER REP. TJ COX FACES FEDERAL CHARGES IN FRAUD CASE
The case will resume with a status conference in October. Until then, prosecutors and defense attorneys are instructed to exchange evidence and witness interviews to prepare for trial.
BREAKING: Former US Congressman TJ Cox from CA’s 21st Congressional district was just released from the Fresno County Jail. He’s facing 28 counts of different money laundering, wire fraud, campaign contribution fraud & financial institution fraud charges. @KSEE24 @CBS47 pic.twitter.com/SbLDoVsTjw
— Katherine Phillips (@KatPhillipsTV) August 17, 2022
Cox, 59, was indicted by a federal grand jury on 15 counts of wire fraud, 11 counts of money laundering, one count of illegal conduit contributions to his congressional campaign, and one count of financial institution fraud on a mortgage, according to the Justice Department.
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If convicted, Cox could face up to 20 years behind bars and a $250,000 fine for the charges related to wire fraud and money laundering, 30 years and a $1 million fine for “wire fraud affecting a financial institution and financial institution fraud,” and up to five years and a $250,000 fine for campaign contribution fraud, per the Justice Department.
The onetime Democratic star drew national attention when he ousted incumbent Rep. David Valadao (R) during the 2018 elections, in which Democrats roared back to power in the House. However, Valadao managed to regain his seat in California’s 21st Congressional District during the 2020 election.
