Ray Liberti takes a plea

From the Sun Sentinel online-

FORT LAUDERDALE --Former West Palm Beach City Commissioner and State Rep. Ray Liberti pleaded guilty on Wednesday to three counts in federal court stemming from a corruption case involving a massage parlor.

The pleadings included guilty pleas to two counts of mail fraud and another to obstructing justice in his efforts to force the sale of a massage parlor at a low market price.

Liberti, 59, who served 30 years in public service and taught at FAU, was accused of accepting more than $66,000 in cash and a a $2,000 Tag Heurer watch in what turned out to be an FBI sting operation.

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He will be sentenced Aug. 25 by U.S. District Judge William Dimitrouleas. He faces a maximum of 50 years in prison.

According to WPEC Channel 12 Liberti will serve a signifigantly shorter sentence than 50 years.

I gave Liberti a Knucklehead award here.

Liberti's corruption angered me as it should anyone. I was hoping for a long sentence, so my first reaction is why the prosecutor is taking a plea. Is the case not strong? The expense of trying Liberti? The second would bother me if true.

There is a third possibility. Liberti has been a mover in Palm Beach County politics for over 30 years. Could he know some dirty little secrets and is using this as leverage against his sentence? That would certainly justify a lighter sentence.

We'll have to see where this goes in the months and years ahead.

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