Two Miami-Dade County employees are accused of ripping off restaurants and using their government positions to do it, deputies said.
Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz and State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle held a press conference Wednesday afternoon to announce the arrests of Craig A. Bethel and Charles E. Bryant II.
Officials said the arrests occurred under a probe, dubbed Operation Grease Trap, which saw Bryant being arrested first in May 2024.
Bethel was arrested on Wednesday after further investigation.
Officials filed additional charges against Bryant when he was re-arrested on Wednesday.
“We’re here to discuss Operation Grease Trap, after calls were received with concerns by restaurant owners alleging extortion by county employees,” said Cordero-Stutz.
Both suspects worked in the Miami-Dade County Division of Environmental Resources Management. They face several charges of extortion, unlawful compensation and organized scheme to defraud.
Officials said Bethel and Bryant took $14,000 from local businesses and restaurants.
“They felt like they were being robbed. It was their business on the one side; they were going to get violations or shut down, or they pay off this guy for a couple hundred dollars,” said Fernandez Rundle.
Investigators said they believe there are more victims out there and urge the public to reach out to them.
“We wholeheartedly believe there are more victims out there. It is an important issue in our community, and it is not going to be tolerated,” said Cordero-Stutz.
In bond court, a judge set Bethel’s bond at $85,000.
If you have any information that leads to an arrest or are a victim, contact the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office at 305-4-POLICE (305-476-5423).