Courthouse scam figure gets 46 months

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Raul Parra, a partner in the firm providing audio-visual systems for the Metropolitan Courthouse, has been sentenced to four years in prison for his role in a $4 million construction swindle.

A federal judge also ordered Parra to make restitution of $601,000 and pay a $10,000 fine.

Earlier in the day former state Sen. Manny Aragón was sentenced to 5 1/2 years in prison and $1.75 million in fines and restitution.

Parra, Aragón and six others including the former court administrator have pleaded guilty to skimming more than $4 million from construction of the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Courthouse in downtown Albuquerque. The schemers siphoned extra funding obtained by Aragón by using bogus invoices submitted by Parra and others that were then approved by the court administrator.

Parra pleaded guilty to conspiracy and mail fraud.