Another day, another Broward School Board member surrenders to authorities.
On Monday, it was board member Stephanie Kraft, who along with her husband, Mitch Kraft, turned herself into authorities to face criminal charges, according to the Broward State Attorney's Office.
The Krafts surrendered at the Broward main jail around 11 a.m. and were processed and into prison garb by noon.
The husband and wife pair faces charges of bribery, official misconduct, unlawful compensation and conspiracy to commit unlawful compensation and/or bribery.
After posting bond at $9,000 each, the Krafts left jail Monday night smiling but not speaking with reporters.
The charges stem from illegal assistance the Krafts allegedly gave to two South Florida developers, Bruce and Shawn Chait, who hired Mitch Kraft to help them get schools-required development fees for one of their building projects reduced by $500,000.
Stephanie Kraft then pushed school staff to put the reduced development fee that her husband helped arrange for the Chaits onto the school board's "consent" agenda, the State Attorney's Office said.
The Chaits, owners of Prestige Homes, struck a deal with prosecutors in August that gave them only probation in exchange for information on the local politicians they claim to have paid off.
The charges of bribery and unlawful compensation are both second-degree felonies with a maximum sentence of 15 years on each count. The official misconduct and conspiracy charges are third-degree felonies with a max of five years each.
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Stephanie Kraft joins former school board member Beverly Gallagher, who was convicted of bribery and corruption and sentenced to 37 months behind bars in July.
