MIAMI (AP) - Jurors have convicted a former South Florida mayor on corruption charges, but a judge wouldn’t immediately pronounce him guilty.
A Miami-Dade County jury found former Homestead mayor Steven Bateman guilty Monday of two felony counts of illegal compensation and one misdemeanor count of illegal lobbying. The judge will now take two weeks to consider earlier defense requests to dismiss the case.
Prosecutors say Bateman illegally took a $125-an-hour consulting job with a health company while using his position as mayor to gain necessary city and county permits for the company’s proposed children’s center in Homestead.
The Miami Herald (https://goo.gl/sKeMR4) reports that Bateman was suspended by Gov. Rick Scott after he was charged and unsuccessfully sought re-election. He was first elected in 2009.
Three other current or former mayors of cities in Miami-Dade County have recently faced corruption charges.
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Information from: The Miami Herald, https://www.herald.com
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