Former Florida commissioner Kevin White arrested

Former Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin White was arrested and indicted on federal charges, the FBI confirmed Wednesday moing.

According to the U.S. Attoey’s Office, White, 46, has been indicted on 10 charges, including lying to an FBI agent, bribery, conspiracy, wire fraud and mail fraud — all stemming from his time as chair of the county’s Public Transportation Commission.

“Anytime you’re looking at any federal charges, especially these types of allegations and with positions of a public official, it’s very serious,” FBI agent Dave Couvertier said.

White, chair of the PTC from 2006-10, is expected to appear in a federal court Wednesday afteoon.

LINK: Read the indictment (PDF)

According to the 28-page indictment, federal authorities have also indicted local towing business owner George Hondrellis.

Using an informant, authorities say they discovered White took bribes from Hondrellis in exchange for his ability to obtain tow truck permits as chair of the PTC.

The indictment also claims White’s recently deceased father, Gerald, accepted money and a car.

The indictment says at one point Hondrellis told the informant “the PTC was giving away towing certificates for money.”
The PTC regulates permits given to taxis, limos, vans, basic life support ambulances and tow trucks.

According to the indictment, in exchange for thousands of dollars and other goods, White promised an informant who worked alongside Hondrellis that he would have “no problem” permitting the company.

They named it Tampa City Towing Inc.

White, who lost his bid for re-election in November, was interviewed by two FBI agents on March 2.

He told them the informant, who went by the name Darryl, “did not provide him any cash on any occasion and never solicited his influence for helping ‘Darryl’ and his towing business, which the defendant then knew to be false, fictitious and fraudulent.”