UPDATED: Ex-Melissa mayor pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud

by Staff of Star Local News, Steve Kirk of Town Square Buzz

Dorman faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

David Dorman, the mayor of Melissa from 1999-2009

MELISSA — David Dorman, the mayor of Melissa from 1999-2009, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of mail fraud for the deprivation of honest services at a hearing in Sherman on Monday, his attorney told The Dallas Morning News in a story published Saturday morning.

Dorman, who has also contributed columns to TownSquareBuzz.com, was indicted last September and accused of soliciting a bribe from real estate broker John Christie in order to annex a tract of land just outside Melissa.

For the complete Dallas Morning News story on the plea deal, click here.

UPDATE: Dorman entered his plea on Monday in Sherman in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Amos Mazzant. Another defendant in the case, John Christie, 65, of Frisco, pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony last week.

According to information presented in court, in 2007, Dorman, then mayor of the city of Melissa, solicited a $70,000 bribe from Christie in exchange for arranging for the city of Melissa to annex a portion of land from the city of McKinney. Christie would then develop and sell the land to potential customers.

Based on a letter from Dorman, the cities of Melissa and McKinney approved the annexation and in exchange, Christie made three payments to Dorman totaling $30,000.

Dorman faces up to 20 years in federal prison, while Christie faces up to three years. Sentencing dates have not been set.

In August 2011, Dorman announced he was seeking the Precinct 3 seat on the Collin County Commissioners Court. However, he later dropped out of the race and did not appear on the ballot.