MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Fuel-scam contractor sentenced to 10 years
BYDAVIDOVALLE
dovalle@MiamiHerald.com
A former, contractor convicted in the fuel farm scheme at Miami International Airport was sentenced Monday to 10 years in state prison.
Jeffrey Smith, 46, former environmental director of Cliff Berry Inc., was convicted in December of grand theft and organized fraud for his role in the scheme to steal jet fuel from the airport's fuel farm.
Jurors in December also convicted the company. Its former president, Cliff Berry II, was acquitted.
Monday's sentence was delivered by Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Jacqueline Hogan Scola.
The company, Smith and several others must also pay $1.23 million in restitution, according to the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office. Also, Cliff Berry Inc. cannot have any government contracts.
The company's trucks were supposed, to haul away wastewater but instead drove off with jet fuel later sold to yacht owners. Their indictments were part of a far-reaching probe that uncovered several racketeering schemes at the airport.
On Thursday, a former supervisor at the airport's^1 fuel farm management company, ASIG Fueling, was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Brian Schneir, 45, had pleaded guilty in exchange for two years in prison but violated his plea agreement by lying during a deposition, Hogan Scola ruled.
In all, 23 defendants pleaded guilty to having roles in the scams.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
4 comments:
good thing they don't have ray lewis living down there.
Seems the jurors take theft a little more serious in FL. than Wicomico County
anonymous 9:07,
Please keep in mind that these men were tried in other Counties, not Wicomico County.
However, I agree with your point.
Are there any more honest hard working people out there anymore?
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