Catching up on the Florida Corruption News |
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 |