If you follow North Miami politics, you should recognize the name Ricardo Brutus from the ongoing corruption scandal linked to his uncle -- the city's mayor, Andre Pierre. Brutus was caught on tape collecting an envelope of cash in exchange for promises to influence city council votes. The arrest seemed damning for Pierre, considering Brutus was not only his nephew but also his campaign manager.
Thus far, Pierre hasn't been legally tainted by his nephew's case. But now Brutus has a whole new set of charges to answer for. The 32-year-old paralegal was charged today with two counts of practicing law without a license, two counts of grand theft, and one count of organized fraud of $20,000 or less.
It's not clear what exactly lies behind the charges. Riptide has requested arrest reports, but North Miami police have so far declined to release them.
In the meantime, why not read about everything else his uncle has been wrapped up in since Brutus's last arrest?
Here are a few of the scandals to hit North Miami City Hall. Pierre has:
- Used taxpayer money to order 43 fake police badges for use by his three-person staff.
- Called a City Councilman's daughter a prostitute.
- Driven a $100,000 Porsche on loan from a donor without declaring it as a gift.
- Stiffed the city on $29,000 of field rental fees from 78 games of soccer.
- Presented a seminar on preventing home foreclosure while his own home was in foreclosure.
- Had taxpayers foot the bill for secret cameras to be installed in his office.
- Helped his former business partners work on a bid to build a giant indoor ski slope.
We'll update this post with more info about Brutus's arrest as soon as North Miami police send it our way.
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