Miami-Dade DPW Employee George Brown Pleads Guilty to Bribery

George Brown, the former Roadway Lighting Coordinator for Miami-Dade County’s Department of Public Works (DPW), has pled guilty to accepting bribes in exchange for DPW contracts. The 50-year-old from Hollywood, FL, admitted to taking over $13,000 worth of bribes from a contractor between 2011 and 2012.

Brown was responsible for overseeing the installation and maintenance of more than 24,000 street lights across Miami-Dade County. He accepted various items, including an air conditioning unit, a refrigerator, and an oven, all supplied by the contractor. The merchandise was either delivered to his home or picked up at the contractor’s business in Miami.

During an investigation that involved recorded conversations, Brown was found to have assured the contractor that their arrangement was secret and discussed receiving additional bribes for his assistance on a DPW project on 27th Avenue in Miami. Brown faces a maximum sentence of ten years in prison.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and the FBI’s Miami Field Office are handling the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey N. Kaplan prosecuting it. The sentencing is scheduled for March 28, 2014, before U.S. District Judge James I. Cohn.

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, commended the FBI’s investigative efforts in this case. For more information and related court documents, visit the U.S. Attorney’s Office website or the District Court for the Southern District of Florida website.