WEST PALM BEACH — A Palm Beach County Code enforcement officer is facing up to 20 years in prison on charges of bribery by a public servant and misconduct, thanks in part to the efforts of the newly established Office of Inspector General.
According to reports, Juan Carlos Valencia is accused of soliciting $1,000 from a resident in April 2009 in exchange for falsifying county records to conceal several code violations.
Valencia has been placed on administrative leave and, if convicted, will lose his county pension and retirement benefits.
The Public Integrity Unit of the State Attorney’s Office filed charges against Valencia, after a review by Inspector General Sheryl Steckler. The allegations were brought to Steckler’s attention by county Planning, Zoning and Building Director Barbara Alterman, who oversees the Code Enforcement Division. This is the first complaint submitted to the Inspector General’s Office to result in criminal charges.
“The county did the right thing by getting this to me,” Steckler said. “This is a good example of how the process is supposed to work.”
To date, the Office of Inspector General has received 18 complaints. Some were handled through referral to the appropriate jurisdiction. Others have been assigned as an administrative inspector general investigation or have been referred for criminal investigation to the State Attorney’s newly formed corruption squad. “All of us are taking our responsibilities very seriously,” Steckler said.
She began her duties as the county’s first independent inspector general on June 28. The office’s first full-time investigator started on August 11, and another full-time investigator was to begin at the end of August.
Anyone wishing to file a complaint may do so online at http://pbcgov.com/OIG, by calling the hotline at 877-283-7068, or by e-mailing the complaint to inspector@pbcgov.org.