Jackson Health Executive in Custody Over Bribery Claims in Construction Contracts

Jackson Health Executive in Custody Over Bribery Claims in Construction Contracts
Image By: NBC 6 South Florida

According to the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, a Jackson Health System employee was detained on Tuesday for allegedly receiving bribes in exchange for building contracts.

Prosecutors said that Heriberto Martinez, 36, is accused of receiving cash, airline tickets, and football game tickets from the vendor who was soliciting bids for projects. Martinez also faces one count of receiving improper remuneration.

Martinez was Jackson Health’s associate director of engineering before.

Prosecutors said that Heriberto Martinez, 36, is accused of receiving cash, airline tickets, and football game tickets from the vendor who was soliciting bids for projects. Martinez also faces one count of receiving improper remuneration.

Martinez was Jackson Health’s associate director of engineering before.

Theodoros Xidis is the seller in question; Martinez details an arrest warrant for him. Xidis is a general construction specialist and a Miami-Dade County-approved vendor. It currently serves as the title manager for 11 active firms and 8 dormant companies. In addition, he oversees two businesses that are owned by his staff.

According to officials, Martinez was in charge of selecting vendors and carrying out the actual contracts for smaller building projects within JHS.

According to the news release, “an audit of his contract procurement activities aroused serious concerns,” which led to the discovery of the bribery plan.

Martinez allegedly informed Xidis about contract openings so that the latter could “submit multiple bids to Martinez from the various so-called ‘independent’ businesses that the vendor owned/operated, all bidding for the same contract,” according to an investigation conducted by Miami-Dade Police and state attorney’s office prosecutors.

This strategy made it more likely that the vendor would win the contract. Martinez received sizeable cash deposits totaling $65,610 on at least 19 occasions in 2020 and 2021, according to the state attorney’s office.

Martinez’s arrest warrant included text exchanges that appear to show him and Xidis talking about bids.

Xidis is assisting criminal investigations, as stated by the office of the state’s attorney. It was unclear right away if he would be prosecuted.

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“The actions of this former Jackson employee undermine our commitment to being good stewards of public dollars. We have a zero-tolerance policy for this type of egregious misconduct,” JHS CEO and President Carlos A. Migoya stated.

“It is a testament to the strong controls we have in place to ensure that our team members are upholding the highest standards of integrity and accountability,” Migoya continued. The audit process’s detection of the abnormality.

“It is sadly disappointing to see that there are still public employees, who while working in their governmental positions, feel entitled to alleged bribes and gifts from vendors,” State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle stated. “These alleged gifts ultimately come from the pockets of Miami-Dade County taxpayers. Such actions are not mistakes or errors in judgment, they are crimes.”

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With more than two years of expertise in news and analysis, Eileen Stewart is a seasoned reporter. Eileen is a respected voice in this field, well-known for her sharp reporting and insightful analysis. Her writing covers a wide range of subjects, from politics to culture and more.