Convicted Lobbyist Avoids Jail Time After Assisting Feds
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A Miami-Dade lobbyist will avoid jail time after assisting investigators with the convictions of a local mayor and another lobbyist.
According to CBS4 news partner, The Miami Herald, the attorney and prosecutors for Richard Candia said he will receive a two-year probationary period, four-months of house arrest and perform 100 hours of community service.
Candia, 49, cooperated in an FBI kickback sting that led to the arrests of Sweetwater Mayor Manny Marono and Miami Lakes Mayor Michael Pizzi.
U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke said she recognized the significance of his help and remorse.
She also reportedly said Candia was a vulnerable man who had gone through financial difficulties, a divorce and the deaths of his parents when he participated in an FBI-orchestrated grant scheme.
If not for the consideration by the U.S. District Judge, Candia could have faced between three and four years in prison for his convictions on a pair of honest services fraud conspiracies.
(©2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald contributed material for this report.)
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