The former state Deputy Insurance Superintendent Joe Ruiz was sentenced yesterday to 48 months in prison. A federal judge also ordered him to pay $103,000 in restitution and $2,000 in special penalties.

Accusations against Ruiz, who was the deputy superintendent from June 2001 through July 2006, involved pushing insurance companies to donate to charities and non-profit organizations that he was involved with in exchange for reduced regulatory fines.

An AP story reports:
 

An indictment against Ruiz, 67, alleged that he largely directed that companies make payments to not-for-profit health foundation Con Alma or to the Southwestern Arts Institute, which bought bilingual books for children—mostly written by Ruiz.

Con Alma was founded by Eric Serna, who was superintendent of the state Insurance Division.

Serna retired in 2006 in an agreement with the state Public Regulation Commission after the agency suspended him over conflict-of-interest issues—including some involving donations to Con Alma. The PRC oversees the Insurance Division.

Ruiz testified that contributions were voluntary and that the companies would not necessarily have been fined if they hadn’t paid. He also said Serna signed off on everything he did.

… "Instead of upholding the public’s trust and doing his job, Mr. Ruiz instead shook down insurance companies and diverted the money that should have gone to the taxpayers to places of his own choosing. However you slice it, however you spin it, that is theft," said U.S. Attorney Greg Fouratt.