Dallas Developer Guilty of Bribing City Officials for Project Approvals: Sherman Roberts Pleads Guilty in Federal Corruption Case

A Dallas developer has entered a guilty plea to bribery charges, admitting his role in a corruption scheme that involved bribing two city council members to garner support for his apartment projects.

According to the

U.S. Attorney’s Office

, Sherman Roberts, former head of City Wide Community Development Corporation, was charged in December 2020

. On Tuesday, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery.

Court filings reveal that Roberts provided cash bribes to then-city council Member Carolyn Davis and mayor pro tem Dwaine Caraway. In return, they aided the advancement of loans and low-income housing tax credits for his projects, such as Serenity Place and Patriot’s Crossing. It was disclosed that Council Member Davis aggressively advocated for these projects within city mechanisms and demanded competing applicants withdraw their requests, enhancing Roberts’s chances for approval.

Similar arrangements were struck with Mayor Pro Tem Caraway, who accepted cash and a monthly stipend to manipulate the Request for Proposal process in favor of Roberts. “How much is the project worth?” Caraway inquired, to which Roberts promised not to forget him post-success. Roberts now faces a potential five years in federal prison, with sentencing scheduled for March 12, 2025, as detailed by the

U.S. Attorney’s Office

.

In earlier developments, Mayor Pro Tem Caraway pleaded guilty in 2019 to conspiracy and tax evasion and received a prison sentence exceeding four years. Council Member Davis, also pleading guilty, died in a car accident before her sentencing could take place. Roberts is among three real estate developers implicated in this scandal, with another, Devin Hall, pleading guilty in August 2020 and Ruel Hamilton of AmeriSouth Realty Group awaiting retrial.

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