MIAMI – The second man accused of paying bribes to the former Broward County traffic director pleaded guilty on Wednesday.
Anthoneel Allen, 40, of Wellington, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery in programs receiving federal funds, highway fraud, mail fraud, extortion under color of official right.
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Allen and James Hashim, 50, of Plantation, are accused of paying bribes to Jihad El Eid, who was the Director of Traffic Engineering in the Division of Public Works in Broward County.
According to court documents, Allen hired Hashim as a vice president of Southeast Underground Utilities (SUU) in 2005. Hashim was to work as an estimator and to help SUU obtain government contracts.
Hashim admitted that beginning in the fall of 2006 through 2010, he and Allen provided to Jihad El Eid more than $150,000 in cash, a 2003 Ford Taurus, and a job at SUU for Wael El Eid (a relative of Jihad El Eid) in order to curry favor with Jihad El Eid, according to court documents.
In return, Jihad El Eid helped SUU obtain work on multi-million dollar projects initiated by the Broward County Traffic Engineering Division, according to court documents. He also helped SUU be overpaid by at least $3 million.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 26. Allen faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.