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Hurricane bus operator found not guilty

MCALLEN, Texas, Oct. 4 (UPI) -- A McAllen, Texas, jury spared a bus operator a felony conviction in the explosion of the vehicle that killed 23 nursing home residents fleeing Hurricane Rita.

The jury after about five hours of deliberations Tuesday found James H. Maples innocent of conspiring to force his drivers to falsify driver logs to boost his company's profits, reports the Houston Chronicle. The panel, however, found him guilty of two misdemeanors -- failing to maintain his bus fleet properly and failing to require his drivers to fill out vehicle-inspection reports after trips.

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On the misdemeanor charges, he faces a year in jail and a fine of up to $200,000.

The former NFL player, who operates Global Limo Inc., thanked God for escaping the felony conviction.

His company could be fined up to $900,000 but it is in bankruptcy, the newspaper said.

During the trial, the jury did not hear any testimony about the Sept. 25, 2005, bus accident as U.S. District Judge Ricardo Hinojosa had ruled none of the charges related directly to the accident.

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