Former Riviera Beach Housing Official Extorted Real Estate Broker

Patrick McKamey Attorney, 1130 West Blue Heron Boulevard (Loopnet, Mccamey Defense Law, Getty, District of Florida, USA)

The former chairman of the Riviera Beach Housing Authority pleaded guilty to federal racketeering charges related to the agency’s purchase of low-income apartments four years ago.

Delvin Thomas, 44, has admitted he received half of a real estate broker’s $18,930 commission from a transaction in August 2019. His 50% cut for Thomas represented a kickback to get housing authorities to buy properties listed by his agent, according to his plea bargain. The broker’s name and property address were not identified in Thomas’ criminal complaint and court documents related to the case.

but, real On August 28, 2019, housing authorities discovered that he paid $631,000 for a four-unit apartment building at 1130 West Heron Boulevard on Riviera Beach. It is the only real estate transaction involving housing authorities that month. His $18,390 received by the broker equaled his 3% of the sale price, the amount of commission the housing authority agreed to pay, court documents say. Records show that the agency still owns the apartment building.

Thomas and his attorney, Patrick McKamey, who served on the Housing Authority’s volunteer committee from 2010 to 2020, did not respond to requests for comment.

Around April 2019, then-Chairman Thomas introduced the broker to a housing authority employee in charge of property purchases, and the agency entered into contracts, plea bargains, and criminal complaints to purchase properties.

At the time, Thomas demanded half the broker’s commission to make the referral, court documents say. Prosecutors alleged that he used the person to act as a front for accepting kickbacks.

The broker provided the front person with two checks for $6,400 and $3,065, which were credited to his business account, court documents say. The notes section of the check incorrectly stated that the payment was for “company branding” and “marketing services.”

The front person then issued two separate checks to Sire Development Group, a now-defunct company owned by Thomas, for a total of $9,400. The memo section of the check incorrectly stated that the payment was for “consulting services,” court documents show.

Sentencing in Thomas is scheduled for March 23. He faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.