TEMPLE TERRACE, Fla. (WFLA) – The Temple Terrace Community Development director has been charged with two felonies for allegedly taking a bribe for a city contract following a six-month investigation into a project to renovate a section of the family recreational center.
Amir Anisi, 54, of Tampa, was arrested Monday morning on one count of unlawful compensation or reward for official behavior and one count of official misconduct falsifying records. In a court document, investigators labeled the second count bid tampering.
According to Florida Department of Law Enforcement Tampa Bay Special Agent in Charge Mark Brutnell, Anisi gave inside information to an unlicensed contractor David Morcom, who owned 383 Construction LLC.
“Anisi informed the vendor, a friend of his, the estimated price range the city was considering for the concrete work,” Brutnell said. “With this bid his friend submitted his bid under that estimate ensuring that his company would win the bid.”
As first reported by 8 On Your Side, the FDLE began the probe in August after an anonymous letter revealed allegations that an unlicensed contractor was hired to convert a raquetball court into a pickleball court.
Anisi was released Monday afternoon on $9,500 bail and has thus far not responded to requests for comment.
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City Manager Charles Stephenson walked away from the Aug. 3 council meeting after he was accused in the letter of allegedly choosing unlicensed contractor 383 Construction LLC.
The owner of that company, which was not licensed with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations at the time of construction, has not responded to multiple requests for comment.
Stephenson later leveled an allegation of his own, accusing the council of violating city rules of order by releasing anonymous claims at a public meeting.
According to the information provided to the council, licensed contractor DWJ Development Inc. was listed as the contractor for the $16,000 project, but Morcom’s 383 Construction LLC was the company that was paid.
Morcom has not responded to multiple requests for comment since the story broke.
The cost of the contract was lower than the $25,000 threshold that requires city council approval but Mayor Andy Ross said the alleged crime could prompt some changes.
“Administratively, there are things that we will review to make sure that we do have proper policies and procedures in place to prevent this type of thing from happening again,” Ross said.
Stephenson, who predicted he would be “fully exonerated” when asked about the investigation in August, said he was “very disappointed” when asked about the Anisi arrest.
Brutnell said the case remains open and more arrests are possible, but when asked about the claims made against the City Manager, Brutnell said, “Charles Stephenson is not a per se target of our probe of this case.”
Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren accused Anisi of “tainting the fairness of the process,” but he said state sentencing guidelines would probably not include a recommendation of prison time.
