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Catching up on the Florida Corruption News |
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Friday, 03 December 2004 |
GUILTY -- TAMPA PUBLIC OFFICIAL CONVICTED!!!
St Petersburg Times Staff Writer
LaBrake, wife, guilty on all counts Steve LaBrake, former Tampa housing chief, and his wife Lynne, have been found guilty as charged of taking a series of bribes and gratuities to build a 4,200-square-foot home and, in turn, steering millions of dollars in U.S. HUD contracts.
LaBrake, wife, guilty on all counts
Published November 30, 2004 By GRAHAM BRINK, Times Staff Writer
Steve LaBrake, former Tampa housing chief, and his wife Lynne, have been found guilty as charged of taking a series of bribes and gratuities to build a 4,200-square-foot home and, in turn, steering millions of dollars in U.S. HUD contracts.
Chester M. Luney, former executive director of the nonprofit Tampa-Hillsborough Action Plan, was found guilty of 19 counts and acquitted on one count.
Lori A. Horne, a loan officer at the USF Federal Credit Union who handled the $230,000 mortgage Mrs. LaBrake obtained to build the dream home, was acquitted of all charges.
LaBrake was convicted of 30 counts; his wife was convicted of 28 counts. They have not yet been sentenced.
They did not speak to reporters as they left Tampa's federal courthouse.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE - Last modified November 30, 2004,
5/20/2003: Taxpayers on hook for lot's cleanup costs
6/5/2003: Clear the housing haze
6/21/2003: Agency built on wrong site
6/28/2003: Tampa officials drop 2 firms after city finds conflict
7/8/2003: FBI agent questions Tampa city official
7/30/2003: Official's ties to contractor stir questions
8/19/2003: Six former LaBrake aides subpoenaed
8/25/2003: Former housing chief falls back on what he knows
8/26/2003: Grand jury seeks nonprofit's records
9/9/2003: Honeymoon hangs around for Tampa's new mayor
9/19/2003: Ryan Construction may resume work in Tampa again
11/6/2003: Housing inspector fired for misconduct
11/20/2003: Former Tampa Housing Chief Indicted
11/21/2003: Greco let blind loyalty cloud his civic duty
11/21/2003: Events in the LaBrake case
11/21/2003: They face charges
11/21/2003: LaBrake's allies are mostly quiet now
11/21/2003: LaBrakes charged in home scandal
11/22/2003: Scandal smears program's image
12/31/2003: Tampa housing agency bans gifts
3/19/2004: Contractor's name change beats city ban
3/20/2004: Mayor slaps down housing department
3/24/2004: Housing chief steps down
4/12/2004: Delays cause construction void
4/17/2004: Mayor sweeps housing office
10/19/2004: Builder to plead guilty to bribery
11/1/2004: Ex-housing chief's federal trial begins today
11/2/2004: LaBrake optimistic as trial on bribery scandal begins
11/3/2004: Lawyer outlines web of bribes
11/5/2004: LaBrake case follows paving stones' trail
11/6/2004: Witness ties LaBrake to contracts
11/9/2004: Witness: Order to cut check was vague
11/10/2004: Sick attorney prompts delay of corruption trial
11/11/2004: Brick by brick, scandal unfolds
11/13/2004: Contractor bemoans his fate
11/16/2004: Defense begins in housing trial
11/17/2004: LaBrake's loan officer offers defense
11/18/2004: LaBrake takes stand, claims innocence
11/19/2004: LaBrake doesn't bend on the stand
11/20/2004: City asks applicants to reveal liaisons
11/23/2004: Jury deliberation to start in LaBrake bribery trial
11/24/2004: Jury in LaBrake bribery case begins deliberating
11/25/2004: Jury in LaBrake case breaks for long holiday weekend
11/30/2004: Discovered ballots won't be part of official results
11/30/2004: Jury still deliberating fate of ex-housing director
11/30/2004: LaBrake, wife, guilty on all counts |
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