The FBI arrested two South Florida mayors Tuesday morning on kickbacks and bribery-related charges.
Aug 6, 2013
The FBI said in a press release agents arrested Miami Lakes Mayor Michael Pizzi and Sweetwater Mayor Manuel "Manny" Marono at their offices and charged them in two separate complaints involving public corruption allegations.
The complaints say the mayors and two lobbyists were involved in two separate schemes, one in connection with purported federal grants for Sweetwater and the second in connection with grants for Medley and Miami Lakes.
Both mayors face charges of conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right.
Miami Lakes Mayor Michael Pizzi and Sweetwater Mayor Manuel "Manny" Marono were taken into custody at their offices, the US Attorney's Office in Miami reported. Both made their first appearances in federal court Tuesday afternoon.
Pizzi, elected in 2008 and in his second term, is an attorney who once worked for a high-profile criminal defense firm in Miami. According to federal prosecutors, Pizzi - who is also Medley's town attorney - and Richard F. Candia, an attorney and lobbyist, were involved in a kickback and bribery scheme in connection with federal grants for both Miami Lakes and Medley.
Marono, a member of the Sweetwater City Commission since 1995, became mayor in 2003. He serves as president of the Florida League of Cities and played a role in Gov. Rick Scott's transition team in 2011. An indictment claims that Marono and lobbyist Jorge L. Forte - the former manager of North Bay Village - were involved in a separate kickback and bribery scheme in connection with federal grants for Sweetwater.
"Our democracy suffers when, as in these cases, elected officials use their power and political influence for personal gain instead of for the public good," US Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer said in a news release. "Public corruption, at any level of government, corrodes and undermines the public's confidence in our system of government."
Gov. Scott issued an order suspending both mayors from office while they await trial.
"This is disappointing," Scott said in a statement after the arrests. "While we wait to see the evidence, the fact remains that elected officials must be held to the highest standard."
No further details about the charges against the mayors were immediately available.
Comments(1)