Florida Condo Manager and Contractor Charged in $186,000 Kickback Scheme
Richard Thomas Murray, head of AP Construction Solutions, and Carlos Jose Mejia, property manager at Venetian Gardens at Country Club of Miami condos, have been charged in an alleged $186,000 kickback scheme. Murray, 62, is accused of providing the payments to Mejia, 51, to secure repair contracts for his firm. The payments, made in 10 installments throughout 2024 and 2025, were disguised as a 'loan agreement,' but investigators found no evidence of repayment by Mejia. The investigation by the Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle's office began after a news station exposed the situation in 2024. Residents of Venetian Gardens, which comprises 21 buildings, have complained for months about needed repairs not being completed, leading to the property becoming 'unbearable and perhaps dangerous.' GRS Management, which manages the condo association, has not commented on the charges.
