Orlando, Florida - U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell yesterday sentenced Tina Moore a/k/a Tina Pollard (56, Daytona Beach) to 3 years, 4 months in federal prison for conspiracy and money laundering. Moore was also ordered to serve a two-year term of supervised release, following her release from prison, and to pay $242,981.25 in restitution. Moore pleaded guilty on Jan. 25, 2013.
According to her plea agreement, Moore was a Right of Way Agent with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) who was responsible for assisting people and businesses displaced by FDOT projects. One of Moore’s assigned projects involved the acquisition of properties for the purpose of widening Interstate 4. One of the businesses displaced by that project was MLA Furniture, which was located on Garland Avenue in Orlando. Moore used her position to solicit and obtain bribes and rewards from the owners of MLA Furniture, in return for assisting MLA Furniture in continuing to remain at Garland Avenue. She knowingly submitted fraudulent claims to the FDOT for the relocation expenses of MLA Furniture. In total, Moore received $30,000 in bribes, consisting of $20,000 in checks and $10,000 in cash.
One of Moore’s co-conspirators, Jonathan Aubrey Jenkins, has already been sentenced for his role in the crime. On Feb. 20, 2013, Jenkins, who was one of the owners of MLA Furniture, was sentenced to 5 years of probation for conspiracy and also ordered to pay $242,981.25 in restitution.
These cases were investigated by the United States Department of Transportation, Inspector General’s Office, and the Florida Department of Transportation, Inspector General’s Office. They were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
