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07/14/05 Mystery Cars in FBI Investigation linked to Auto Dealer-Developer MYSTERY CARS DRIVEN BY COUNCILMAN AND PLAN
COMMISSIONER TRACED TO AUTO DEALER-DEVELOPER ALSO UNDER FBI INVESTIGATION Jul 14, 2005 9:00 pm US/Central By Todd Bensman and Robert Riggs, The Investigators, CBS-11 News The FBI's search last month of a 1998 BMW driven by Dallas City Councilman Don Hill and of a 2000 Mercedes S50 driven by Hill's Plan Commissioner D'Angelo Lee raised questions about just why they were using luxury vehicles they did not own, who provided them and for what purpose. The titles, which would reflect the automobiles' true owners, have never been filed with the state long after the required deadlines to do so have passed. Neither Hill nor Lee, both of whom are persons of interest in an FBI bribery and corruption investigation, have never explained what they were doing with difficult-to-trace vehicles they did not own. Now, CBS-11 has learned that the older model luxury automobiles were passed on to Hill and Lee from a used car dealer who also works as a housing developer in a company that is under the FBI's magnifying glass as part of the same corruption probe. The man who procured the vehicles before they were passed along to the two city officials was Richard "Rick" Robertson, CBS-11 has learned. Robertson stocks his tiny Millenium Auto Investment car lot in the shadow of City Hall with used luxury vehicles he buys from auto auctions like the one Lee's $40,000 Mercedes came from, and markets such as CarMax, where Hill's $25,000 BMW last appears. But Robertson is more than just a used car dealer. Public records show he is a partner in a development company called Rashad-Millennium, LLC with a man named Jabreel Rashad. A federal grand jury has subpoenaed records for Rashad-Millennium as well as employees or "representatives" of Rashad-Millennium whose ranks include Hill's appointed Plan Commissioner, D'Angelo Lee, according to a government document examined by CBS-11. The FBI's interest in the car dealer's development company, and Commissioner Lee's previously undisclosed connection to it, extends to work the company might have done on a project he voted for called the Homes of Pecan Grove, CBS-11 has learned from the federal document. Last November, Councilman Hill led a divided city to narrowly approve the controversial southeast Dallas affordable housing development, which is under construction. Several interested businessmen also now under FBI scrutiny testified at a council hearing in favor of the Pecan Groves development. Earlier, Commissioner Lee voted with the Plan Commission to approve the project, which brought $6 million in government tax credits to its developer. The FBI has sought all correspondence between Lee and Hill about the Pecan Groves project in the 3000 block of Simpson Stuart Road, CBS-11 has learned. Councilman Hill, who has denied all wrongdoing, could not be reached for comment this week. But in an interview about the BMW last month, Hill offered this unsolicited comment to CBS-11's Sarah Dodd: "It?s not a buyout for a vote." On Thursday, Commissioner Lee told CBS-11 News in his first interview since shortly after the FBI raids that he had chosen to stop driving the Mercedes. He offered no explanations. After the interview, CBS-11 observed Commissioner Lee pull out of City Hall driving a red 2002 Range Rover. Public records show the 2002 Range Rover is owned by Rick Robertson. The FBI's wide-ranging corruption sting apparently targeting government -subsidized affordable housing development became public June 20 with a series of search warrant raids on the offices of Councilman Hill, Commissioner Lee, Councilman James Fantroy and a variety of nonprofit development groups, contractors and other individuals whose identities are only slowly becoming known. The investigation seeks to substantiate allegations including bribery for votes and political influence, bank fraud, money laundering, extortion and criminal conspiracy, according to one of the search warrants obtained by CBS-11. In an interview this week, Robertson said he had no knowledge of how his cars came to be in the service of Councilman Hill and Commissioner Lee but suggested that perhaps some of his half dozen or so sales representatives might have sold them to someone. He acknowledged a visit by FBI agents to his car lot in search of title records, but Robertson said "I never sold or lent a car to Don Hill" or Commissioner Lee. Robertson also said he was not in business with Jabreel Rashad, despite public records showing otherwise. He did say that in addition to buying and selling used autos he also buys, refurbishes and sells single family homes but that he had no knowledge the Pecan Grove development. Rashad could not be reached for comment by telephone or in visits to his home. Questions remain. For instance, it is unknown under what conditions and expectations the two vehicles came to be driven by Hill and Lee, or through whose hands the vehicles were actually transferred. CBS-11 had linked the BMW driven by Hill to a close political associate of both his and Lee's, political "consultant" Sheila Farrington, who has not been located for comment. Farrington is a person of interest to the FBI. The FBI has refused to discuss its investigation, and search warrant affidavits that would reveal what the government knows remained sealed this week. To comment on this story, email Todd Bensman or Robert Riggs |
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