North Miami Beach mayor arrested on charges related to ‘voting irregularities’

Tribune Content Agency

MIAMI — North Miami Beach Mayor Anthony DeFillipo was arrested and charged with voting irregularities, the Miami-Dade state attorney’s office announced Wednesday morning.

The arrest comes six months after a complaint was filed with the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics & Public Trust alleging DeFillipo lived in the town of Davie in Broward County, in violation of the North Miami Beach city charter, which requires elected officials to reside in the city.

DeFillipo, through his attorney Michael Pizzi, denied the allegations. “We look forward to a speedy exoneration,” Pizzi told the Miami Herald in a text message.

The complaint, filed in December, claimed DeFillipo purchased a home in Davie for $1.2 million. DeFillipo has repeatedly denied the allegations surrounding his residency and insisted he lives in North Miami Beach.

In a March deposition, DeFillipo admitted to purchasing the Davie home, but for his family to live in and cited marital issues. He also admitted to serving on the home owners association board for the Davie community.

Concerns over DeFillipo’s residency led to a stalemate in the city with three city commissioners refusing to attend commission meetings in protest of DeFillipo’s residency concerns, leaving the commission without a quorum to conduct city business.

DeFillipo’s arrest is the latest kerfuffle in the city regarding the commission. Earlier, this month the city commission voted to remove Michael Joseph from his seat after he failed to attend meetings for more than 120 days. Joseph is seeking to regain his seat back through the courts.

A press conference regarding DeFillipo’s arrest was to be held later Wednesday at the state attorney’s office.

DeFillipo’s arrest means he could be suspended from office by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

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