HOUSTON, Texas – Former Houston Water Department manager, Patrece Lee, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for orchestrating a multimillion-dollar kickback scheme, was denied parole.
Lee will remain in prison for at least three more years, following a decision by the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. A new law that took effect September 1st gives the board the discretion to push subsequent parole reviews as far as 5 years into the future.
KPRC 2 Investigates reporter Amy Davis has been tracking Lee’s case as part of 2 Investigates’ ongoing “DRAINED” investigation.
Lee was described as “the big fish,” the woman who steered multi-million dollar city contracts to herself, family members, and friends.
Because she accepted a plea deal that dismissed the most serious felony charges, Lee became eligible for parole just five months into her 10-year prison sentence.
However, the parole board not only denied her release but also set her next eligibility date for August 1, 2028.
“I just went ‘Yes!’ Senate Bill 1506. It worked,” said Andy Kahan of Crime Stoppers of Houston, who worked with lawmakers to pass the new law.
Senate Bill 1506, which passed during the last legislative session, gives the Board of Pardons and Paroles the discretion to schedule an inmate’s next parole hearing up to five years in the future.
“Previously, before September 1, a case like Patrece Lee… if she was denied parole, she would have had to come back up for parole again every year,” Kahan said. “So you never get a break.”
When KPRC 2 called Lee’s attorney, Jay Dedrick, for a comment on his client’s parole decision, he said he didn’t know Lee’s parole was denied or that she wouldn’t come up for review again until 2028.
Kahan says the new law is also expected to relieve emotional and logistical burdens on victims’ families, who often travel to Austin annually to attend parole hearings and advocate for continued incarceration. Kahan says the change could help restore some public confidence in the justice system.
“I think this will kind of help restore some of the faith in our justice system that right now is so sorely lacking,” he said.“At least now we know, we’re not gonna have to hear anything about Patrece Lee until the year 2028.”
Lee was the only one of seven defendants charged in the waterline repair corruption scandal who received prison time. She was not ordered to pay any restitution.
The KPRC 2 ‘DRAINED’ Investigation also focuses on water billing issues in Houston. The city made sweeping changes to how the water bill system works after our investigation showed numerous issues.
We are still working to get answers for customers with complaints! Email Amy Davis at ADavis@kprc.com and Andrea Slaydon at ASlaydon@kprc.com.
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