Tamarac Commissioner Charged with Bribery
Broward County has already had its share of political scandals. The latest to be charged in that saga is Tamarac Commissioner Patricia Atkins-Grad.
According to an article in The South Florida Business Journal, she allegedly received and failed to disclose a $2,300 lease payment for a BMW. The payment came from developers who were trying to get a building project approved. She voted to approve that project and is also accused of receiving $4,000 cash from the same builders for a victory party after she was elected to the commission in 2006.
Atkins-Grad is charged with bribery, official misconduct, and conspiracy to commit unlawful compensation. Bribery and unlawful compensation charges are considered second-degree felonies, carrying a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison for each count. The other charges are third-degree felonies and carry a maximum sentence of five years each. Her bond has been set at $15,500.
Florida Governor Charlie Crist has suspended Atkins-Grad from the commission.
Source: Tamarac commissioner faces criminal charges, South Florida Business Journal, June 25, 2010
Contact a Broward county criminal defense lawyer if you have been charged with a crime such as bribery, assault, or DUI.