{"id":249968,"date":"2025-09-23T21:52:13","date_gmt":"2025-09-23T21:52:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/249968\/"},"modified":"2025-09-23T21:52:13","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T21:52:13","slug":"parole-denied-for-former-houston-water-department-manager-at-center-of-bribery-scandal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/249968\/","title":{"rendered":"Parole denied for former Houston water department manager at center of bribery scandal"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 kNAFkD cuqaEv article-text\"><strong>HOUSTON, Texas <\/strong> \u2013 Former Houston Water Department manager, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.click2houston.com\/topic\/Patrece_Lee\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.click2houston.com\/topic\/Patrece_Lee\/\">Patrece Lee<\/a>, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for orchestrating a multimillion-dollar kickback scheme, was denied parole. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">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. <\/p>\n<ul class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 kDvXdO font_openSans articleList\">\n<li class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__StackBase-sc-1fnzlkn-7 ecGWWE iQviKm\"\/><\/ul>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 kNAFkD cuqaEv article-text\">KPRC 2 Investigates reporter Amy Davis has been tracking Lee\u2019s case as part of 2 Investigates\u2019 ongoing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.click2houston.com\/topic\/DRAINED\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.click2houston.com\/topic\/DRAINED\/\">\u201cDRAINED\u201d investigation<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Lee was described as \u201cthe big fish,\u201d the woman who steered multi-million dollar city contracts to herself, family members, and friends.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 kDvXdO font_openSans articleList\">\n<li class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__StackBase-sc-1fnzlkn-7 ecGWWE iQviKm\"\/><\/ul>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">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. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">However, the parole board not only denied her release but also set her next eligibility date for August 1, 2028.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 kDvXdO font_openSans articleList\">\n<li class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__StackBase-sc-1fnzlkn-7 ecGWWE iQviKm\"\/><\/ul>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 kNAFkD cuqaEv article-text\">\u201cI just went \u2018Yes!\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legis.texas.gov\/BillLookup\/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&amp;Bill=SB1506\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.legis.texas.gov\/BillLookup\/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&amp;Bill=SB1506\">Senate Bill 1506<\/a>. It worked,\u201d said Andy Kahan of Crime Stoppers of Houston, who worked with lawmakers to pass the new law. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 kNAFkD cuqaEv article-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legis.texas.gov\/BillLookup\/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&amp;Bill=SB1506\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.legis.texas.gov\/BillLookup\/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&amp;Bill=SB1506\">Senate Bill 1506<\/a>, which passed during the last legislative session, gives the Board of Pardons and Paroles the discretion to schedule an inmate\u2019s next parole hearing up to five years in the future.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 kDvXdO font_openSans articleList\">\n<li class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__StackBase-sc-1fnzlkn-7 ecGWWE iQviKm\"\/><\/ul>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">\u201cPreviously, before September 1, a case like Patrece Lee\u2026 if she was denied parole, she would have had to come back up for parole again every year,\u201d Kahan said. \u201cSo you never get a break.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">When KPRC 2 called Lee\u2019s attorney, Jay Dedrick, for a comment on his client\u2019s parole decision, he said he didn\u2019t know Lee\u2019s parole was denied or that she wouldn\u2019t come up for review again until 2028. <\/p>\n<ul class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 kDvXdO font_openSans articleList\">\n<li class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__StackBase-sc-1fnzlkn-7 ecGWWE iQviKm\"\/><\/ul>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Kahan says the new law is also expected to relieve emotional and logistical burdens on victims\u2019 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.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">\u201cI think this will kind of help restore some of the faith in our justice system that right now is so sorely lacking,\u201d he said.\u201cAt least now we know, we\u2019re not gonna have to hear anything about Patrece Lee until the year 2028.\u201d<\/p>\n<ul class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 kDvXdO font_openSans articleList\">\n<li class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__StackBase-sc-1fnzlkn-7 ecGWWE iQviKm\"\/><\/ul>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">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. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">The KPRC 2 \u2018DRAINED\u2019 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.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 kNAFkD cuqaEv article-text\">We are still working to get answers for customers with complaints! Email Amy Davis at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.click2houston.com\/news\/local\/2025\/09\/23\/parole-denied-for-former-houston-water-department-manager-at-center-of-bribery-scandal\/mailto:ADavis@kprc.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.click2houston.com\/news\/local\/2025\/09\/23\/parole-denied-for-former-houston-water-department-manager-at-center-of-bribery-scandal\/mailto:ADavis@kprc.com\">ADavis@kprc.com<\/a> and Andrea Slaydon at <a href=\"https:\/\/aslaydon@kprc.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/aslaydon@kprc.com\">ASlaydon@kprc.com.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Copyright 2025 by KPRC Click2Houston &#8211; All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"HOUSTON, Texas \u2013 Former Houston Water Department manager, Patrece Lee, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":249969,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5130],"tags":[132495,4345,16844,132496,358,3187],"class_list":{"0":"post-249968","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-houston","8":"tag-drained-investigation","9":"tag-houston","10":"tag-investigates","11":"tag-patrece-lee","12":"tag-texas","13":"tag-tx"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115255832918873578","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249968","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=249968"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249968\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/249969"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=249968"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=249968"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=249968"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}