Two Charged in Eggelletion Golf Membership Bribe
Bruce and Shawn Chait are charged with offering a golf membership in exchange for county work
By JESSICA SICK
Updated 4:46 PM EDT, Fri, Dec 11, 2009
There's a lot going wrong for Josephus Eggelletion these days.
But the former Broward County Commissioner might be able to take a little solace in the fact that today the Broward State Attorney's Office charged the two Broward developers involved in exchanging favors with Eggelletion -- Bruce and Shawn Chait -- with counts of bribery, unlawful compensation and perjury.
Last month, Eggelletion was charged with accepting a $3,200 golf membership in exchange for county work from the development company. When investigators asked why the Chaits were dropping off a membership fee for Eggelletion, the three of them conspired that the Chaits would tell authorities that it was Eggelletion's money and that they were merely doing him a favor.
We wish someone would offer to drop off our golf membership. Sigh.
In addition to the country club perks, the complaint filed also says that Eggelletion admitted accepting another $25,000 three years ago from the Chaits for favorable commission votes involving Prestige Homes.
Yesterday Eggelletion changed his plea from not guilty to guilty concerning another money laundering fracas in which he allegedly conspired to help launder more than $900,000 through a Bahamas bank account from what undercover FBI agents told him was an investment fraud scheme.
"I sincerely apologize to the community, to my many supporters, to the public at large for failing to uphold the honor and integrity of the office to which I was elected, and to my family for falling so far from the man they know me to be," Eggelletion said in a statement a few days ago. "I dishonored myself and my office, and I have begun the process of trying to atone for my actions."
And by atone we think he means up to five years in jail.
The Chaits were expected to turn themselves in at the Broward County Jail today.
First Published: Dec 11, 2009 4:30 PM EDT
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