North Miami Beach Official Accused Of Taking Bribes

MIAMI, FL — A longtime North Miami Beach Commissioner and a Miami-Dade elementary school teacher has been charged with accepting bribes from the owner of a strip club, according to the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office. Frantz Pierre is facing charges of money laundering, bribery and related offenses. Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle formally announced the charges at a Wednesday afternoon press conference.

Pierre allegedly received $12,500 in direct payments betweeen December 2013 and September 2014 from Dean Tyler, who is one of the owners of Dean's Gold, an adult entertainment business located at 2355 NE 163 Street, according to court documents filed by the Public Corruption Task Force of the Miami-Dade State Attorneys Office.

In addition, Pierre allegedly benefited from an alleged money laundering scheme involving $9,865 that Tyler paid to a Florida not-for-profit corporation. Jaquelin Alexis was identified in court documents as the operator of the Community Hope not-for-profit.

Alexis allegedly also accepted $2,000 from the city of North Miami Beach for a non-existant after-school program on June 4, 2014.

"The following day Alexis paid Pierre $2,905," court documents alleged. "The solicitation and reception of money by Alexis for a non-existant program, money which was provided in part from Pierre's discretionary funds with the commission and which Alexis in turn paid directly to Pierre, constituted an organized scheme to defraud and grand theft in the third degree from the city of North Miami Beach."

The State Attorney's Office released copies of checks made out to Pierre from Tyler along with a Dec. 22, 2013 text message in which Pierre allegedly requested that $7,000-$8,000 be mailed to him. He allegedly wrote "FOREVER BLESSED!" in the text message.

"I just put a check for $7,000 in the mail," Tyler allegedly responded. "It will go out tomorrow."

One of the checks released by prosecutors was for $7,000. It was dated Dec. 21, 2013 and carried a "loan" notation in the description field.

"Thank you so much," Pierre allegedly replied. "That will not be forgotten."

According to his North Miami Beach bio, the married father of five has been an elementary school teacher with Miami-Dade County Public Schools since 1995 though he has been on a board-approved leave of absence from his position as a a bilingual curriculum specialist for more than two years.

A school district spokesperson told Patch that the district plans to terminate Pierre's employment with the district, where he had taught at Oak Grove Elementary School.

"District employees are mandated by school board policy to conduct themselves, both in and out of the workplace, in a manner that reflects credit upon the district," according to the spokesperson. "These are serious allegations that do not support our core values and are considered disqualifying offenses."

Photo of Pierre Frantz courtesy city of North Miami Beach