Guerrero made several calls to Villagomez while he was in Buffalo, New York to attend the National Lt. Governors Summit last July.
Their phone conservations were wire tapped.
During one of those calls, Villagomez said something about “documents” that should have been destroyed, based on the transcript submitted to the court.
But Villagomez’s key counsel, David Lujan, argued that the federal government’s conduct was “outrageous,” “deceptive and coercive.”
He said the prosecution fabricated a charge against his client.
Lujan said Guerrero was coached to ask leading questions to Villagomez that would incriminate the lt. governor in the probe on the anomalous CUC deal on the chemical known as Rydlyme that were purchased from his sister’s newly formed company.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric O’Malley argued that there was no due process violation because everything was done lawfully.
Guerrero pleaded guilty to conspiring with Villagomez in the fraudulent transaction in exchange for a lesser penalty.
Also indicted were former Commerce Secretary James Santos and his wife Joaquina Santos who is Villagomez’s sister.
The three pleaded not guilty to fraud, conspiracy, and theft involving federal funds.
They were charged in August after authorities uncovered the sole-source deal involving thousands of federal dollars used to buy Rydlyme, a cleaning agent that wasn’t useful at all to CUC.
