A former associate director at Miami-based Jackson Health System is accused of awarding construction contracts to a vendor in exchange for cash payments and gifts.
Heriberto Martinez, 36, was an associate director of engineering for the county-owned health system, according to a July 30 news release from the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office. He was responsible for assessing what smaller construction projects need to be undertaken within the health system, obtaining price quote and executing the projects
Mr. Martinez is accused of accepting cash payment and gifts from a specific vendor and then awarding health system contracts to several companies that were owned or allegedly being operated by the vendor, according to the release. He is facing one count of unlawful compensation. The charge comes after an initial audit from the health system into his contract procurement activities "aroused serious concerns." The audit results were then further investigated by law enforcement.
According to the state's attorney, an investigation found that he would initially advise the vendor of a contract opening. The vendor would then submit multiple bids to Mr. Martinez from various purportedly independent businesses that the vendor actually owned or operated. The scheme helped ensure the vendor would be awarded the contract. Mr. Martinez's account showed large cash deposits on at least 19 occasions between 2020 and 2021, totaling $65,610, officials said.
The vendor is cooperating with investigators, according to the release.
"The actions of this former Jackson employee undermine our commitment to being good stewards of public dollars," Jackson president and CEO Carlos Migoya said in the release. "We have a zero-tolerance policy for this type of egregious misconduct. Our internal audit process detected this issue, which 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."