Former City Councilman and County Commissioner Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Taking Bribes
| U.S. Attorney’s Office March 12, 2012 |
TAMPA, FL—United States Attorney Robert E. O’Neill announces that U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore today sentenced Kevin L. White (47, Riverview) to 36 months in federal prison for conspiracy, bribery, wire fraud, and lying to the FBI. White was also sentenced to three years of supervision and 300 hours of community service upon his release from prison. The court also ordered White to pay a fine of $7,500, a $700 special assessment, and entered a forfeiture judgment of $9,000. White was found guilty by a jury on November 9, 2011.
White and co-defendant George Hondrellis (46, Tampa) were indicted on June 14, 2011. On September 16, 2011, Hondrellis was remanded for a competency evaluation. He will be tried separately at a later date.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, while serving as a Hillsborough County Commissioner and chairman of the Hillsborough Public Transportation Commission, White accepted bribe money in exchange for using his influence in assisting towing companies in becoming selected for the county’s approved rotational towing list. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by United States Attorney Robert E. O’Neill.