A real estate developer accused of bribing two former Dallas City Council members in exchange for their votes to approve and fund his housing projects pleaded guilty Tuesday to a federal conspiracy offense.
Sherman Roberts, president and CEO of City Wide Community Development Corporation, faces up to five years in prison and a fine of as much as $250,000 for the offense of conspiracy to commit bribery concerning an agent of a local government receiving federal benefits.
His plea is part of an agreement with prosecutors in the Northern District of Texas.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Rebecca Rutherford recommended Roberts’ plea be accepted and scheduled his sentencing before U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade for March 12.
Roberts’ lawyer, William Cox, declined to comment after the hearing. Roberts, 70, has been allowed to stay out of jail while his case is pending.
The conspiracy began in 2013 and lasted until 2018, according to the 2020 indictment.
Prosecutors refer to the former Dallas city council members that Roberts conspired to bribe as Council Member A and Council Member B in the indictment. The Dallas Morning News has reported that Council Member A is Carolyn Davis, who pleaded guilty in 2019 in a separate Dallas City Hall bribery case and has since died in a car crash, and that Council Member B is Dwaine Caraway, who served prison time for another corruption case involving a bus agency.
Council Member A lobbied and voted for Roberts’ Serenity Place Apartments, Runyon Springs and Patriot’s Crossing real estate projects, according to the indictment. This council member also advocated for one of Roberts’ projects to receive more than $1.9 million from a conditional loan and other funds and to receive low-income housing tax credits from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, the indictment states. In exchange, Roberts made cash payments and a promised Council Member A future employment.
Council Member B was promised a lump sum payment of $60,000 plus recurring payments of $2,000 per month, according to the indictment. Council Member B agreed to try to block a city bid proposal to pave the way for Roberts to get the job, the indictment details.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcus Busch is prosecuting the case.
The case number is 3:20-cr-00621.