Miami, FL – The former chief electrical inspector for the city of Miami Beach pled guilty this morning in Miami-Dade Circuit Court on charges stemming from an investigation dubbed “Starbucks II”.

Thomas Ratner, 51, charged with accepting a $1,000 bribe from a contractor and falsifying records in connection with electrical inspections, was videotaped showing the payoff at a Starbucks Café in downtown Miami.

Circuit Court Judge Jacqueline Hogan Scola accepted Ratner’s plea of guilty to 1 count of Unlawful Compensation and 3 counts of Official Misconduct and sentenced the former inspector to 1 year and 1 day in state prison.  He was also adjudicated guilty of the charges and is now a convicted felon.  As a result, Ratner, who lacked a prior criminal record, has lost his public position as well as his state licenses.

“These criminal acts were perpetrated by Mr. Ratner out of pure greed,” noted State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle.  “My message should be loud and clear that dishonest acts by a public employee in whom we depend and trust, will not be tolerated under any circumstances.  The evidence in this case speaks for itself.  You commit the crime, expect to do the time.”

Ratner was immediately handcuffed and booked into the Miami-Dade County jail to begin serving his prison sentence.  As part of his plea, Ratner was ordered to pay investigative costs related to his arrest and repay the $1,000 bribe amount to the Miami Beach Police Department.

Katherine Fernandez Rundle
State Attorney