Local real estate developer Sherman Roberts pleaded guilty Tuesday to bribing two Dallas City Council members, the U.S. Department of Justice announced in a written statement.
Roberts, 70, is one of three developers in the past four years who has been charged in connection with bribery cases linked to Dallas City Hall officials, the news release said.
Devin Hall, project developer for the Grand Park Place apartments, pleaded guilty in August 2020, and Ruel Hamilton, the executive behind the Royal Crest housing project, is awaiting retrial on bribery charges.
In late 2020, Roberts, the previous head of the City Wide Community Development Corp. in Lancaster, was indicted on a charge of conspiracy to commit bribery. According to the news release, he is accused of bribing former Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway and former City Council Member Carolyn Davis to advance his projects in return for cash payments to the elected officials.
Court documents show Davis pushed for Roberts’ real estate developments, including Serenity Place, Runyon Springs and Patriot’s Crossing, in exchange for thousands of dollars in cash and payments — payouts that extended past her tenure on the council. She supported a 9% low income housing tax credit for Serenity Place and voted in favor of a $1.9 million city loan, according to the news release.
Shortly after the vote, Roberts sent Davis a text message saying, “right now you and me are making money,” according to the release. A month later, she allegedly asked Roberts for more money and he agreed to the request, according to court documents.
Caraway agreed to stop the city from exploring other bids for construction work in the Patriot’s Crossing project and to deliver it to Roberts, according to officials. The release said he did this for hundreds of dollars in cash as well as a $2,000 monthly stipend.
“Once you’re successful with this project, don’t forget about me,” Caraway reportedly told Roberts.
Caraway pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and tax evasion in 2019 and was sentenced to 56 months in federal prison, the release said.
Davis pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery concerning an agent of a local government receiving federal benefits that same year; however, she died in a car accident before her sentencing.
Roberts’ sentencing is scheduled for March 12. He faces up to five years in federal prison, according to officials.