.
U.S. Attorney Press Launch
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – A federal jury in Tallahassee has convicted John Thomas Burnette, 44, of Tallahassee, Florida of 1 depend of Extortion Beneath Colour of Official Proper, two counts of Sincere Companies Fraud by Bribery, one depend of Use of Interstate Commerce Services to Promote Bribery, and one depend of Making False Statements to a Federal Officer. The responsible verdict was returned August 13, 2021, on the conclusion of a fifteen-day trial.
Performing United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, Jason R. Coody, Assistant Attorney Basic Kenneth A. Well mannered, Jr. of the Justice Division’s Legal Division, and Particular Agent in Cost Rachel Rojas of the FBI’s Jacksonville Area Workplace made the announcement.
In December 2018, a federal grand jury charged Tallahassee Metropolis Commissioner Scott Maddox and Paige Carter-Smith in a forty-four depend indictment. In Could 2019, a grand jury returned a superseding indictment including Burnette as a defendant. Maddox and Carter-Smith subsequently pleaded responsible to 2 counts of Sincere Companies Fraud by Bribery and one depend of Conspiring to Intervene with the Lawful Operate of the IRS. In October 2019, a grand jury returned a second superseding indictment towards Burnette.
At trial, the federal government introduced proof that Burnette engaged in a multi-year scheme with Maddox and Carter-Smith to commit extortion, fraud, and bribery. In the course of the scheme, Burnette and Maddox extorted bribe funds from FBI undercover brokers (“UCs”) who have been posing as actual property builders and entrepreneurs. Burnette instructed the UCs that to acquire preferential remedy, they have to pay bribes to Maddox via Governance Companies. Burnette, Maddox, Carter-Smith, and the UCs agreed that the UCs would pay Governance Companies $10,000 per 30 days in alternate for Maddox agreeing to carry out official acts meant to profit the UCs’ sham improvement firm.
In 2017, FBI brokers approached Burnette, recognized themselves as FBI brokers, and requested Burnette about his involvement within the bribe funds to Maddox. In the course of the interview, Burnette repeatedly lied about his information of the UCs’ funds to and involvement with Maddox.
“As we speak’s verdict affirms a multi-year investigation of public corruption within the Metropolis of Tallahassee,”acknowledged Performing U.S. Attorney Coody. “Our residents deserve and anticipate that these in public workplace will act within the public’s curiosity, fairly than their very own and that of their confederates. Those that violate their oath and betray the general public’s belief would be the topic of this workplace and our legislation enforcement companions’ unwavering efforts, which can proceed past this verdict.”
“Our residents are entitled to selections based mostly on the most effective pursuits of the general public, not the most effective pursuits of corrupt public officers and bribe-paying enterprise homeowners in search of to line their very own pocketbooks,” mentioned Rachel L. Rojas, Particular Agent in Cost of the FBI Jacksonville Division.
“Let there be little doubt – bribes are usually not good enterprise in Tallahassee, nor anyplace else. The FBI stays absolutely dedicated to making sure that anybody who violates the general public’s belief is held accountable.”
Burnette’s sentencing listening to is scheduled for October 28, 2021, at 1:00 pm at the USA Courthouse in Tallahassee earlier than the Honorable United States District Decide Robert L. Hinkle.
Burnette faces most penalties of 20 years in jail for Counts Two, 5, and Six (the Extortion and Sincere Companies Fraud offenses) and 5 years for Counts Eight and 9 (the Use of Interstate Services to Promote Bribery and Making False Statements to a Federal Officer offenses).
Scott Maddox and Paige Carter-Smith’s sentencing listening to is scheduled for September 9, 2021, at 10:00 am at the USA Courthouse in Tallahassee earlier than the Honorable United States
District Decide Robert L. Hinkle. Each Maddox and Smith face most penalties of 20 years in jail for the Sincere Companies Wire Fraud and Sincere Companies Mail Fraud offenses and 5 years in jail for the Conspiracy to Defraud the USA offense.
The conviction was performed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Inside Income Service – Legal Investigation. The case towards Maddox and Carter-Smith was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen M. Kunz, and Andrew J. Grogan of the Northern District of Florida, and Deputy Chief Peter M. Nothstein, and Trial Attorney Rosaleen T. O’Gara of the Division of Justice, Legal Division’s Public Integrity Part.
####
