A government source just informed the Pulp that Deerfield Mayor Al Capellini has been charged right now with crimes of corruption by the State Attorney's Office. His mug shot, taken hours ago, is pictured at right.
UPDATED: The charge is unlawful compensation, a third-degree felony stemming from his involvement in the development at Natura. I know about that deal because I broke the original story on Natura . Here's a link to the article in New Times. I always felt like that was the most clear-cut criminal stuff he did and apparently SAO agreed -- especially after the agency found even more evidence. The lede:
While South Florida politicians are notorious for forging unethical bonds with high-rolling developers, Deerfield Beach Mayor Al Capellini has taken it a step further.
He's become one.
And city records show that he's used the power of his political office not only to promote an office building project he's backing, but to direct city and county officials to make changes that have outraged a neighborhood."
The State Attorney's Office, according to a press release, discovered that Capellini had been paid more than $16,000 from the developer to get plat approvals from his own city and the county. The mayor also profited by having a stake in the development itself.
Deerfield Beach, thanks to Michael Satz and prosecutor Catherine Maus, is a lot cleaner today.
Capellini's arrest comes just a day the jail booking of Capellini's nemesis in Deerfield, Commissioner Steven Gonot, who was charged by prosecutors with grand theft and official misconduct.
Gonot didn't take a plea deal, choosing to fight the charges. The Sentinel is reporting that David Bogenschutz, Capellini's attorney, said the mayor is fighting the charges as well.
