Puerto Rico mayor accused of bribery denied bail
Feb 25, 2012, 1:54 PM
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) – A longtime Puerto Rico mayor accused of bribery will remain in jail until his preliminary hearing.
A federal judge denied Sol Luis Fontanes bail after prosecutors said he had threatened witnesses involved in the case and warned he would commit suicide. He is accused of accepting $55,000 in bribes from contractors seeking to obtain work and sell property.
Fontanes was arrested Feb. 16 and is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday. He had been mayor of the coastal city of Barceloneta for nearly 24 years and was running for re-election this year.
The ruling was issued late Friday.
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