Mariano Fernndez, a former Miami Beach official in the building industry, won't be going to prison for illegally accepting hotel stays and gifts from Spanish hotel companies.Fernndez agreed to two years house arrest as part of a plea agreement with Miami-Dade Prosecutors earlier this week. This will be followed by two year probation. Fernndez also received a hold of adjudication which means that he will not technically have a conviction for a felony. He agreed to a plea agreement on the charge of unlawful compensation.Fernndez (67) was in the midst of his trial since February 2018, when he was arrested.Prosecutors claimed that Fernndez traded his influence and worked for luxury rooms in South Beach and Mexico. RIU Hotels & Resorts was responsible for the stays. Fernndez's department owns over 100 hotels across 19 countries. Fernndezs had to approve building permits for a South Beach resort.Jeffrey Weiner, his defense attorney, stated that buildings in Miami Beach were not compromised and that Fernndez didn't realize that his friendship was with RIU executives.Weiner stated that it was his poor judgement.Fernndez was the City Hall's top building official. He had considerable power over the inspections and permits for construction and renovation projects. These functions are crucial in determining the timeframe for completing large projects. RIU required permits to renovate its South Beach property between October 2013 and June 2016.Mariano Fernandez (center) surrendered Tuesday to the Miami-Dade State Attorneys Office on Tuesday. He was charged with receiving illegal compensation while serving as a Miami Beachs Building Official.Prosecutors claimed that Fernndez solicited free or comped rooms for himself as well as his employees. Fernndez even helped to organize retreats for team building at deeply discounted rates. Fernndez provided free accommodation for at least five employees, while dozens of others received discounted rates. This totaled to more than 200 nights.In September 2015, Fernndez and his wife went on a team building trip to Punta Cana's RIU Palace Bavaro All Inclusive Resort. Fernndez and his spouse received a complimentary suite, a birthday bottle Johnny Walker Black Scotch, and a VIP evening at Coco-Bongo nightclub.Continue the storySouth Florida's city building departments have been featured in the media since the collapse of the Champlain Towers South building, Surfside, on June 24th. Ross Prieto was a former building official in the town who claimed that the tower was in good condition despite a 2018 structural damage report. He used to work for Miami Beach.(L) Alejandro Sanchez Del Arco, RIU's Caribbean regional manager, and Luis Riu Guell, Jr., the CEO and owner the RIU Hotel & Resort chain, surrendered to Miami Court in Judge Jorge Cuetos courtroom on Monday, February 12, 2018, to face charges that they provided free hotel stays in exchange for building permits. Both RIU executives were taken to court and booked into jail, where they could both post bond.Fernandez was employed at Miami Beach in 2013 and was fired just before his arrest.The Miami-Dade State Attorneys Office also indicted Luis Riu Guell Jr. as RIUs owner and the company as well as Alejandro Sanchez del Arco, RIUs regional vice-president.Guell's case was dismissed in February. The company was placed on probation, with nearly $500,000 in fines, donations and a program to ensure compliance by employees in any future building matters. Sanchez del Arco was also placed on probation for two years and was subject to house arrest for 30 days.Fernandez's ex-wife, Maria Fernndez (Miami-Dade County Judge Maria Fernndez), was also indicted in the public corruption case.2019 Florida Supreme Court suspended her because she failed report free hotel stays during the couple's marriage. She was also ordered to pay a $5,000 penalty and a public reprimand.
