Texas Sen. Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio. right, enters the federal courthouse for a hearing July 10, 2017, in San Antonio. (AP photo/Eric Gay)

A federal jury has found state Sen. Carlos Uresti, a San Antonio lawyer, guilty on 11 felony fraud-related counts including steering his clients to invest in a hydraulic fracking business that turned out to be a Ponzi scheme.

Uresti, a Democrat, was found guilty of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and securities fraud violations by helping develop and solicit investors for a now-defunct oilfield company called FourWinds Logistics where he served as general counsel.

The jury also found Gary Cain, a FourWinds consultant, guilty on nine similar charges while the company's former CEO, Stanley Bates, previously pleaded guilty to fraud charges last month.

During the month-long salacious trial, the prosecution's star witness was Denise Cantu, a former client of Uresti who told jurors the married lawyer helped her win a $900,000 settlement, slept with her, and convinced her to invest FourWinds—losing all but $100,000 of her investment. Prosecutors alleged Uresti, who was under financial strain, groomed Cantu before defrauding her.

“I trusted him a lot more,” she said, according to a report in the San Antonio Express-News. “That made him closer to me. He was my friend, my lover, I guess.”

Uresti could not be immediately reached for comment. He faces a lengthy prison sentence as each of the fraud-related convictions carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison while the money laundering charges carry a maximum of between five and 10 years. He is tentatively scheduled to be sentenced on June 25 before U.S. District Senior Judge David Ezra of the Western District of Texas.

John Bash, the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Texas whose office prosecuted Uresti, said the conviction proved that no person is above the law.

“Today's verdict powerfully reaffirms the core American belief in equal justice under law—a belief so important to our system of government that it is engraved on the front of the U.S. Supreme Court. No matter who you are, no matter your title or status or position in the community, you will be held accountable for your actions, particularly when you inflict harm on your fellow citizens,” Bash said. “I could not be prouder of this office's prosecution team and our law-enforcement partners in achieving justice for the victims of the fraudulent investment scheme at the heart of this case.”

Uresti was initially represented at trial by Mikal Watts, a San Antonio plaintiffs attorney who successfully defended himself pro se against federal allegations that he intentionally submitted phony names to recover from the 2010 BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

However, Watts was later disqualified from representing Uresti at trial because they had both represented Cantu in her civil settlement. Watts was later replaced by San Antonio criminal defense attorney Mike McCrum.

“I am devastated for my friend who spent an entire career as a dedicated public servant. He got into a business deal with the wrong guy,” said Watts, who attended the majority of Uresti's trial. “While I respectfully disagree with the jury's verdict, I also respect it and I will continue to stand by my friend as he goes through this unfortunate process.”

Watts expects Uresti will appeal the verdict.

“I got disqualified as Uresti's lawyer because one of his clients was a client of mine—a ruling I vehemently disagreed with but will be part of his appeal,'' Watts said of Uresti's next move.

“It's too early to get into that but, I believe there are multiple points on appeal that will put this verdict in jeopardy,” Watts said.