Five million dollars in taxpayer cash vanished into a rigged bidding scheme for LED light fixtures — and former Miami-Dade County procurement employee Ygnacio Valdez helped cover it up. Valdez, 45, of Miami, pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony, admitting he stayed silent while co-conspirators stole millions from the Miami-Dade County Aviation Department. The scam spanned from 2010 to 2015, exploiting county contracts and rigged bids.
Roy Jesus Bustillo, 37, Rolando Perez, 57, and Jose Barroso, 51 — all of Miami — also copped to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. They’ll face sentencing on January 6, 2017, before U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola, Jr., with each staring down up to 5 years in prison and $250,000 in fines. Valdez, who once held the power to award contracts, will be sentenced December 20, 2016, before Judge Ursula Ungaro, facing a maximum of 3 years and the same fine.
The fraud was built on lies, fake accessories, and phantom deliveries. Bustillo, the South Florida rep for the LED fixtures, fed quotes to vendors — but only Perez, owner of Global Electrical & Lighting Supplies, Inc., knew the real manufacturer price. A fake mounting part was added to bids, padding profits. Perez submitted low, winning bids every time — 20 contracts in all — while Bustillo and Perez split insider advantages behind the scenes.
But the theft went further. On two occasions, no lights were ordered at all. One time, the conspirators used existing county stock to fake delivery. The second time? Nothing. Zero fixtures provided. Yet Perez still got paid — nearly $500,000 walked out the door for air. All told, the scheme bled $5,250,000 from Miami-Dade’s coffers.
Ivan Valdes, a co-conspirator already convicted, greased the wheels with cash. He paid Valdez thousands in under-the-table bribes to ensure Perez’s bids were declared winners. Valdez tallied bids and named the ‘lowest responsive bidder’ — even when the process was rigged. His silence wasn’t passive; it was criminal complicity.
Barroso and Ivan Valdes split $2.2 million in illicit gains. Bustillo pocketed about $764,000 through his companies. The full rot is now exposed — a network of backroom deals, shell bids, and stolen public funds. The FBI and DOJ are cleaning house, but the cost to Miami-Dade’s trust? Priceless.
Related Federal Cases
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- Badge & Robbery: Miami Cop Convicted of Civil Rights Theft · Florida
- Miami Cop William Kostopoulos Convicted in Civil Rights Heist · Florida
- Miami-Dade Detective Convicted of Perjury in Federal Court · Florida
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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