MIAMI – The director of terminal maintenance at Miami International Airport who was charged in a multimillion fraud case owned a Porsche, wore hand-tailored designer suits and rented sky boxes for concerts.
The Miami Herald reports (http://hrld.us/2cZbHVU ) that 46-year-old Ivan Valdes started out cutting grass but was promoted in 2015 to a management job, where he is accused of hatching a scheme to skim $5 million from fraudulent light bulb purchases.
He faces a maximum 10-year prison sentence in a federal case and additional prison time on state charges. His attorney declined comment in an email Friday.
State prosecutor Katherine Fernandez Rundle says Valdes should have been seen as a classic American success story, but instead he got greedy.
Authorities say Valdes conspired with a light bulb vendor and supplier, who manipulated wholesale prices.
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Information from: The Miami Herald, http://www.herald.com
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