FORT PIERCE, Fla. — Fort Pierce City Manager Nick Mimms was arrested Wednesday afternoon, the state attorney's office confirmed to WPTV News.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) said he faces one count of bid tampering and one count of official misconduct.
Mimms, 51, was booked into the St. Lucie County jail at 4:08 p.m. and released from custody at 5:48 p.m. after posting $10,000 bail.
Bid tampering is a second-degree felony that carries a maximum of 15 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine. Official misconduct is a third-degree felony that carries a maximum of five years in prison and up to a $5,000 fine.
WHAT DO THE CHARGES STEM FROM?
The investigation began after the FDLE said they received a complaint detailing inappropriate conduct by a city official in connection with a request for proposal (RFP) to develop surplus property in the Lincoln Park downtown corridor. The property, which is two vacant lots, is owned by Fort Pierce's Redevelopment Agency.
During the two-year investigation, FDLE said their agents found that Mimms initiated the process to have the lots declared as surplus and then intentionally rigged the bid to make sure Lincoln Park Young Professionals (LPYP) received the lease. FDLE said that LPYP, a local nonprofit, was formed by two former city employees, one of them being Mimms' niece.
Investigators said Mimms, acting as project manager for the RFP, controlled the bid language and improperly communicated with LPYP providing non-public information.
The FDLE said he used his influence to ensure LPYP was able to present its idea to the Fort Pierce Redevelopment Agency prior to the bid going public.
Agents said he improperly influenced the criteria for evaluating each bid and concealed his conflict of interest during the bidding process.
WPTV has reported on issues surrounding this project this year. Click below to watch our stories:
* Story: After more than $500,000 of public and private support for community center, lot remains empty
* Story: Hundreds of thousands of grant dollars allocated for Fort Pierce community center that wasn't built
FDLE said their Fort Pierce field office continues to investigate the case.
Investigators said the case will be prosecuted by the 19th Circuit State Attorney's Office with help from Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody's Office.
MIMMS HAS WORKED FOR CITY SINCE 1998
According to the city of Fort Pierce's website, Mimms is the chief executive officer and administrative head of the municipal government, "responsible to the City Commission for the proper administration of all affairs" of the city.
He was named city manager in December 2015 after serving three years as deputy city manager, the city says on its site.
At around 7 p.m. Wednesday, WPTV received a statement from the City of Fort Pierce regarding Mimm's arrest:
"The City of Fort Pierce is aware of the recent arrest of City Manager Nick Mimms. We recognize the concern this may bring to our community and are committed to addressing the situation with the transparency and seriousness it requires..."
Mimms, a Fort Pierce native, joined the city as a project engineer in 1998 and has served in several capacities including stormwater engineer, deputy director of public works, director of public works and director of the Fort Pierce Redevelopment Agency.
Mimms holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering degree from the University of Central Florida and is designated as a licensed professional engineer by the Florida Board of Professional Engineers, and a credentialed manager as determined by the International City/County Management Association.
The city said he is a member of the Florida City and County Management Association, International City/County Management Association, National Forum of Black Public Administrators, American Public Works Association, and Solid Waste Authority of North America.
He could be in court this morning to face the charges.
There is a 3 p.m. meeting in Fort Pierce in the Commission Chambers at City Hall. The meeting will allow the City Commission to collectively review the matter and determine what the next steps are moving forward.
Stay with WPTV News and WPTV.com for more on this breaking news story.
