Weather: Overcast, 84° F



Comments  | Recommended

Dallas ISD corruption trial focuses on computer vendor's gift-giving

12:34 AM CDT on Monday, June 30, 2008

By RICHARD ABSHIRE / The Dallas Morning News
rabshire@dallasnews.com

Two weeks into a slow-paced federal corruption trial, prosecutors and attorneys for a computer reseller have clashed over whether his gift-giving was generosity or an effort to lure contracts from a Dallas school administrator.

Ruben Bohuchot was a Dallas ISD worker from 1999 to 2006.

The government has leveled charges of conspiracy, bribery and money laundering against Ruben Bohuchot, DISD's former associate superintendent for technology, and Micro System Enterprises boss Frankie Wong, once the district's largest technology vendor.

In addition, Mr. Bohuchot, 59, who worked for the district from 1999 to 2006, faces tax charges accusing him of failing to report income from his dealings with Mr. Wong.

Prosecutors have called witnesses who testified that Mr. Wong, 47, picked up the tab for the school administrator's air travel, golf outings and sports events in Houston and Dallas and that he bought two sports-fishing boats primarily for Mr. Bohuchot's use.

Frankie Wong's attorneys say he's generous to everyone.

According to the witnesses, that use included expensive trips from the boats' home berth near Houston to Florida fishing tournaments.

The prosecution contends that such lavish entertainment was meant to improperly influence Mr. Bohuchot to steer two contracts worth millions of dollars to Mr. Wong's company.

Defense attorneys Mike Gibson, who represents Mr. Bohuchot, and Dan Cogdell, who represents Mr. Wong, are trying to convince the jury that Mr. Wong is a generous man who treats everybody that way and that Mr. Bohuchot didn't have the power to steer school district contracts.

One witness, describing his role as captain of the two fishing boats, testified that Mr. Wong covered all boat-related expenses but that Mr. Bohuchot gave most of the orders aboard the Sir Veza and the larger Sir Veza II.

Also Online

Dan Tingley, the captain, said the school administrator accounted for 80 to 90 percent of the boats' use before allegations of improprieties came to light in 2005.

Mr. Tingley said he went to Mr. Wong at one point about banning Mr. Bohuchot from operating the boat when drinking. But Mr. Wong said that if Mr. Bohuchot didn't enjoy the boat and didn't want to use it anymore, then he wouldn't need the boat.

Asked what he took that to mean, Mr. Tingley said, "That I wouldn't have a job."

VERNON BRYANT/DMN
VERNON BRYANT/DMN
Sir Veza II sits at a dock in Key West, Fla. Prosecutors say DISD vendor Frankie Wong bought this and another sports-fishing boat for a former administrator's use to try to steer millions of dollars in school contracts.

He said Mr. Wong didn't seem to enjoy boating as much as Mr. Bohuchot. "Mr. Wong was nervous on the ocean," he said.

Another witness for the prosecution, Kim Ngang, Mr. Wong's former administrative assistant, testified that Mr. Wong always picked up the tab when entertaining friends and let almost anyone who asked use his company's boat or suites at professional sporting events.

"Frankie paid for everybody's everything, didn't he?" Mr. Cogdell asked.

The witness said she told Mr. Wong that a lot of people – Micro System employees, customers, friends and family – were taking advantage of him.

"If they asked him, he always said yes," she said.

She also testified that Mr. Wong gave her a percentage of commissions in "house accounts" at the company's Houston and Dallas offices. Added to her salary of $42,000, that helped her earn about $1 million over three years starting in 2004.

But there was a catch, she said.

Witness-es say Ruben Bohuchot used Sir Veza I (seen here) and II to make expensive trips from Houston to Florida.

After putting aside 40 percent of her commission earnings for taxes, she said, she split the rest evenly with Mr. Wong.

"He called it his spending money," she said.

Judge Sam Lindsay initially said he expected the entire trial to last three weeks. But progress in the case has been deliberate, with the attorneys – three for the government, three for Mr. Wong and one for Mr. Bohuchot – spending almost as much time in conference at the judge's bench as questioning witnesses.

Print E-mail this article Forums

Check Screen Name Availability

Screen names can only consist of letters and numbers.


Check to see if this screenname exists Cancel Screen Name Form

Leave Comment
Conversation guidelines: We welcome your thoughts and information related to this article. When leaving comments please stay on topic and be respectful of others.

You must be logged in to contribute. Log in | Register Now!

You are logged in as screenname | Log Out

You are logged in, but do not have a "screen" name. Update Your Profile

Showing:




Report item as: (required)
Comment: (optional)
Print E-mail this article Forums

News on Demand RSS
E-Mail newsletters

Advertisement