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Two Charged After Alleged $185,000 Kickback Scheme at Hialeah Condo Complex
The Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office announced charges Thursday after investigators say more than $185,000 in kickbacks was paid to a property manager while construction work stalled at a Hialeah condominium complex. Richard Thomas Murray, 62, owner of a construction company contracted by the association beginning in 2024, is charged with an organized scheme to defraud over $50,000. Property manager Carlos Jose Mejia, 51, faces an organized scheme to defraud charge and 10 counts of receiving kickbacks; prosecutors allege Murray paid Mejia via checks labeled as "loan agreement" and that investigators found no evidence the funds were repaid. Investigators say the construction company held three contracts with Venetian Gardens at Country Club of Miami but stopped work citing lack of funds. The State Attorney's Office released video showing water and debris outside units as part of its evidence; a 2024 Florida law also bars condominium managers from accepting kickbacks. The case will proceed through the prosecution, and no conviction has been established. All individuals accused of a crime are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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All individuals mentioned in criminal allegations are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.