MIAMI – The director of Miami International Airport's Terminal Maintenance Division has been charged in a $5 million airport fraud and kickback scheme.
Court documents show that Ivan Valdes, 46, pleaded not guilty Friday to charges of bribery, bid tampering, official misconduct and money laundering.
According to a federal complaint, Valdes used his position from 2010 to 2015 to manipulate the bid process for light fixture vendors hoping to provide services at MIA.
With the help of several co-conspirators, the Aviation Department purchased as many as 500 light fixtures at a time from the "winning vendor," and Valdes and his co-conspirators received a share of the proceeds from the orders, the complaint said.
Authorities said more than 9,000 fixtures were purchased from the company between 2010 and 2015, and Valdes and his co-conspirators collected more than $5 million in the scheme.
"Taxpayers deserve to have their hard-earned monies fund local government, not the pockets of individuals who deprive South Florida residents of the benefit of honest services," U.S. Attorney Wifredo Ferrer said in a statement. "Corruption by those who hold the public's trust corrodes the practice of fair business dealings. The U.S. Attorney's Office, the FBI and our partners at the State Attorney's Office will continue to target for prosecution all corrupt officials, regardless of their position."
Among Valdes' responsibilities as director of the Terminal Maintenance Division were preparing the annual operating budget for facilities and terminal maintenance, oversight for terminal maintenance building shops and the day-to-day operations of facilities and terminal maintenance, including lighting for MIA.
Valdes was first hired by the Miami-Dade Aviation Department in May 1989.
Roy Jesus Bustillo, 37, Rolando Perez, 57, and Jose Barroso, 51, all of Miami, are charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud. Ygnacio Valdez, 45, of Miami, an employee in the Procurement Section of the Miami-Dade County Aviation Department, is charged with misprision of a felony.
Valdes was released Friday on his own recognizance.