Broward County School Board member arrested
September 24, 2009 Broward County Public School Board member Beverly Gallagher was arrested September 23, 2009 along with two other government officials after an FBI sting operation.[1]
[edit] Arrested
Beverly Gallagher is a school board member for Broward County Public Schools, Florida, representing District 2. Her term is supposed to expire in 2012, which may change pending these charges.
Gallager is also the administrator for the scholarship foundation funded by the Community Blood Centers of South Florida, which recently revealed that its scholarships had not been distributed to students.
She was arrested for extortion, wire fraud and bribery after undercover FBI agents passed $12,500 to her in return for making arrangements for them to get school construction contracts.
According to the Federal Complaint, in 2005, Gallagher met with the undercover officers and told them "they could make a lot of money together." The charges say that in one meeting, she put $2,000 in a day planner and in another she left with $1,500. According to the charges, Gallagher helped steer a $71 million building contract for Hollywood Hills High School to supposedly benefit the undercover agents.[2]
[edit] Second board member
Fellow School Board member Phyllis C. Hope said a week after Gallagher's arrest that she was the second board member the criminal complaint against Gallagher identified. Hope said she was not the only elected official on a boat party staffed by FBI agents as part of a corruption investigation.
She said she brought friends with her, but didn’t identify them. She identified Sunrise City Commissioner Sheila Alu as one of the other elected officials on the boat at the party.
“Seriously, it was a Christmas party. I did bring friends,” Hope said. “I was not the only elected official on there. I am worried that someone is trashing my reputation because I went to a Christmas party.”
The December 10, 2008 Christmas party is in the criminal complaint against Gallagher because the FBI sting agents asked her to invite "influential persons who could assist" the company that Gallagher thought she was helping get a school board-issued construction contract. In reality, the operation resulted in her arrest.
Hope has not been subpoenaed, but would not say whether she has spoken yet to federal agents or whether she hired an attorney.[3]
[edit] External links
- Broward County Public Schools school board
- Hollywood Hills High School
- Community Blood Centers of South Florida
- FBI
[edit] References
- ↑ "3 Broward politicians arrested in FBI public corruption stings," Miami Herald, September 24, 2009
- ↑ "Outlne of charges against Beverly Gallagher," Sun-Sentinel, September 23, 2009
- ↑ "Hope confirms she is unidentified School Board member in Gallagher complaint," Sun-Sentinel, September 30, 2009
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