George Brown, Bribery, Florida 2014

A former Miami-Dade Department of Public Works employee has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for accepting bribes from a contractor. George Brown, 50, of Hollywood, was sentenced on May 13, 2014, after pleading guilty to one count of accepting bribes in connection with programs receiving federal funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 666.

Brown was the Roadway Lighting Coordinator for the Department of Public Works in Miami-Dade County. In 2011, a lighting contractor offered to provide Brown with ‘rewards’ in exchange for Public Works’ purchase of the contractor’s lighting products. Brown agreed and subsequently accepted more than $13,000 in bribes from the contractor in 2011 and 2012.

The bribes included appliances, computer equipment, and other merchandise, all paid for by the contractor. Among the merchandise that Brown received from the contractor was a 2.5 ton air conditioning unit, a Samsung stainless steel refrigerator, and a KitchenAid built-in single electric convection oven.

During the investigation, the contractor began to cooperate with law enforcement and recorded the conversations with Brown. In one recorded conversation, Brown assured the contractor that no one else knew about their arrangement. In another recorded conversation, the two discussed delivery to Brown of certain merchandise costing approximately $2,600 in exchange for Brown’s assistance on a Public Works’ project on 27th Avenue in Miami.

Brown was given until May 13, 2014, to surrender to the United States Bureau of Prisons. He was also ordered to forfeit $13,000.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey N. Kaplan.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

The defendant’s exact criminal charges are accepting bribes in connection with programs receiving federal funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 666.

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