Miami-Dade Aviation Boss Gets 7 Years for $5M Fraud

Miami-Dade County’s aviation sector was rocked by scandal as Ivan Valdes, the former Division Director of the Miami-Dade County Aviation Department, was sentenced to seven years imprisonment for orchestrating a $5 million fraud and kickback scheme.

United States Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer and FBI Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro announced the sentence, emphasizing that corrupt officials who betray public trust will be vigorously pursued by law enforcement agencies.

Valdes, 46, of Miami, pled guilty to a one-count criminal Information charging him with theft in programs receiving federal funds under Title 18, United States Code, Section 666. He was also ordered to pay $5,247,539 in restitution and must serve three years of supervised release.

According to court records, Valdes arranged for the Miami-Dade County Aviation Department to purchase over 9,000 LED light fixtures at a cost of millions of dollars. He received a share of the proceeds from a co-conspirator, splitting approximately $2 million in fraudulent proceeds. Some of these funds were used to pay an employee who assisted with the fraud.

Valdes instructed a co-conspirator to bid on contracts for light fixtures without ordering from the lighting manufacturer, resulting in payments totaling $500,000 for non-existent products. The scheme spanned from 2010 to 2015.

The FBI and Miami-Dade County State Attorney’s Office were commended for their investigation efforts by Mr. Ferrer, who noted that public corruption remains a top priority for law enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey N. Kaplan handled the prosecution of this case. For more information, visit the District Court for the Southern District of Florida or PACER.