City Official Arrested In Temple Terrace; Accused Of Rigging Bid

TEMPLE TERRACE, FL — The community development director for the city of Temple Terrace has been arrested after being accused of giving a construction bidder an unfair advantage and then requesting a discount from the bidder for a personal project.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents arrested Amir Anisi, 54, of South Tampa, Monday and charged him with bid tampering and unlawful compensation.

“It is always in the best interest of taxpayers and public safety to have a fair and transparent bidding process," FDLE Tampa Bay Special Agent in Charge Mark Brutnell said. "I very much appreciate the work of our FDLE agents and analysts who worked diligently to uncover this crime, as it was not immediately identifiable, but discovered through extensive review of records and interviews.”

“This crime was a violation of the public’s trust," Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren said. "As Tampa Bay continues to grow and thrive, the public needs to be able to trust that the government is working on behalf of the people—openly, honestly, and fairly.”

Temple Terrace Mayor Andy Ross said these actions won't be tolerated in Temple Terrace.

“When we received the original complaint in this matter in August, we immediately asked FDLE to open an investigation," Ross said. "Myself, and all the members of the city council, are committed to the highest standards of integrity and will continue to demand transparency and excellence from our staff.”

The investigation was launched after the city received a complaint about the hiring of an unlicensed contractor to complete concrete renovations at a racquetball court. As community development director, Anisi was aware of the bids coming into the city. The investigation shows that Anisi influenced a competitive solicitation by providing non-public information to one vendor with whom he had a personal and professional relationship. With the information Anisi provided, the vendor won the bid for the project.

In addition, Anisi hired the vendor for a concrete project at his personal residence. When the job was complete, he told the vendor that he expected a reduced price as a favor for giving the vendor other jobs, including the city of Temple Terrace project.

Anisi was arrested Monday morning and was booked into the Hillsborough County Jail and released the same day on a $9,500 surety bond.

The case will be prosecuted by the Hillsborough State Attorney’s Office.