PLANTATION, Fla. – The former public works director for the city of Plantation is being accused of having city employees on the clock to do his busy work.
The corruption allegations against Steven Luther Rodgers, 48, include criminal charges of unlawful compensation, falsifying documents, and dealing in stolen property, all in his capacity as a public official.
According to documents, multiple employees came forward to the city’s human resources department regarding issues with Rodgers.
The incidents described happened as far back as 2016.
Investigators said Rodgers allegedly used city employees to do his bidding. In one alleged instance, a public works employee was made to paint and remodel his girlfriend’s apartment during the work day.
Rodgers later instructed a secretary to falsify his time card.
Other allegations include having a public works employee pour concrete at his house, directing the theft and sale of catalytic converters out of a city garage, and taking home city trailers improperly marked as scrap.
Plantation Mayor Nick Sortal said Rodgers was sent home with pay in January of this year.
“And he never came back,” Sortal said.
By March, Rodgers was officially fired as public works director.
“We notified police, police investigated for about four or five months and then referred it to the state attorney’s office,” said Sortal.
Rodgers was hired as Assistant Public Works Director back in 2013 and was promoted to director in 2019 by former Mayor Lynn Stoner, who was also arrested on public corruption charges in May.