Ex-Margate city worker accused of theft, bribery
Police say they have arrested a former city ofMargate employee accused of theft and bribery charges in a kickback scheme.
Kim Liakos, 58, of Coral Springs, was taken into custody in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday, a week after a judge signed a warrant for her arrest, authorities said.
Liakos was at an undisclosed hospital, but police trackedherdown.“Theygot her from the hospital,” said Liakos’ lawyer, MichaelWeinstein. “We tried to arrange a surrender, and the city of Margatewouldn’t have it.
“Ideally, she would have finished her hospital stay, and we would have driven her to the jail instead of them searching every hospital and then arresting her,” he said. “We were never running.”
He said Liakos will appear in magistrate court Thursday, where she’ll plead not guilty.
Liakos is accused of arranging to get more than $33,000 in kickbacks, as well as repairs at her house, in exchangefor giving builders contractsoncity projects at inflated prices, police said.
Liakos, who served as Margate’s grant manager, is facing 11 counts including bribery, bid tampering, unlawful compensation and grand theft.
Police allege she is behind the city’s loss of nearly $1 million from state and federal grants intended to help low-income people buy and fix up homes.
They allege she gave insider information to contractors to give them the edge to get the contracts, and then permitted them to overbill in exchangefor cash and home repairs.
A 22-month police investigation involved a forensic accountant.
lhuriash@sunsentinel.com, 954-572-2008 or Twitter @LisaHuriash