Lynn told Caraway she was disgusted by his actions.
"When it goes on for six years, it's hard to call it a mistake," she said, according to reporters in the courtroom.
Caraway told Lynn he pleaded guilty to save the city from a trial.
"My heart is heavy. These are the darkest days of my life. I did not plan to go out of politics this way ... I humiliated the city of Dallas. I humiliated my council colleagues," Caraway said, according to WFAA's Tanya Eiserer. "To the citizens of the city, I apologize to each and every one of you.""To the citizens of the city, I apologize to each and every one of you." — Dwaine Caraway
tweet this
Caraway — who served parts of five non-consecutive terms on the City Council, in addition to a brief stint as mayor when Tom Leppert resigned to run for U.S. Senate in 2011 — accepted $450,000 from Robert Leonard and Slater Swartwood Sr., both former executives with Force Multiplier Solutions, the Louisiana-based technology company at the center of the stop-arm camera scandal. In exchange for the cash, Caraway influenced the City Council's vote on the stop-arm camera program, which enabled DCS to collect civil fines from those who drove past the signs without stopping.
The program, which DCS officials said would generate millions in revenue for the agency, flopped, contributing to the agency's eventual demise in 2017.
According to federal court documents, Leonard paid Caraway $390,000 in bogus real estate consulting fees for his help with the program. Leonard and Swartwood also drafted a false loan promissory note for Caraway in order to hide some of the cash they paid him, according to the factual resume of Caraway's plea.
"Early on, Caraway told Leonard that he supported the stop-arm program and asked Leonard to make political contributions," the factual resume said. "Leonard made these contributions because Caraway asked and knew that Caraway supported the stop-arm program."
The judge's decision to sentence Caraway on Friday came after federal prosecutors and Caraway's defense asked Lynn to hold off on punishing Caraway until this fall, when the former council member is expected to be the star witness in a separate corruption trial. Lynn denied the request but said prosecutors could ask that Caraway's sentence be reduced after he testifies, should they choose to do so.
Caraway must report to prison by May 5. After completing his sentence, Caraway will be under federal supervision for three additional years.
