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Key events in the LaBrake case

By Times Staff Writer
Published February 26, 2005

JAN. 8: Lynne McCarter, a top assistant and girlfriend to Steve LaBrake, Tampa's director of business and community services, buys an 838-square-foot concrete block house at 3608 W Corona St. in South Tampa for $121,000.

JAN. 18: Tampa-Hillsborough Action Plan, a nonprofit that received millions of dollars in grants and city contracts during LaBrake's tenure, pays Atlas Movers $22,000 to haul the house off McCarter's property, thereby saving her demolition costs.

JAN. 25: Construction begins on a four-bedroom, 31/2-bath, 4,200-square-foot home for McCarter. Cost of the shell construction: $105,000. McCarter's contractor, Dean Ryan of Ryan Construction, has received more than $1-million through LaBrake's department in recent years to build low-income housing.

MARCH 22: Ryan writes a $13,379 check to pay off McCarter's credit card debt.

LATE JULY: WFTS-Ch. 28 broadcasts stories on McCarter's home, her relationship with LaBrake and LaBrake's relationship with Ryan Construction. Soon after, Mayor Dick Greco orders an investigation. The city also investigates McCarter's side job of selling gift baskets to THAP. McCarter's business received $34,000 from a THAP subsidiary to supply "congratulations packages" containing a pen, calculator, flashlight and other sundries to be distributed to new homeowners.

SEPT. 25: The St. Petersburg Times publishes a story revealing a series of favors that THAP executive director Chester M. "Chet" Luney and his organization did for the LaBrakes.

OCT. 5: Greco places LaBrake on a 90-day paid administrative leave from his $105,000-a-year job.

NOVEMBER: The state Ethics Commission finds that LaBrake violated no ethics codes. Later that month, the Ethics Commission repudiates the report, saying it could not rely on information gathered by the city and submitted by Greco.

DEC. 3: Luney resigns his $78,000-a-year job as head of THAP.

2002

FEB. 1: Ryan Construction sues McCarter to collect $168,431.51 for work done on the South Tampa home.

FEB. 8: LaBrake and McCarter put the South Tampa home up for sale for $650,000.

MAY 9: The city of Tampa severs its ties with THAP.

SEPT. 5: LaBrake and McCarter marry.

2003

FEB. 12: Lynne LaBrake opts to take early retirement and accept a $6,822 payment in exchange for dropping claims against the city.

FEB. 25: Steve LaBrake is sentenced to 18 months of probation after pleading guilty to charges of attacking his wife's ex-husband, Scott McCarter.

AUG. 26: Six city employees who worked for LaBrake are ordered to testify before a federal grand jury.

NOV. 5: Richard Nazaro, a city inspector who is a longtime friend of Steve LaBrake, is fired for misconduct.

NOV. 20: Steve and Lynne LaBrake, Luney, Ryan, and USF credit union loan officer Lori Horne are indicted on fraud and corruption-related charges.

2004

MARCH and APRIL: Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio reorganizes the city housing department.

OCTOBER: Ryan agrees to plead guilty to bribery and conspiracy charges and cooperate with prosecutors in their case against the other defendants.

NOV. 30: Steve and Lynne LaBrake are found guilty on more than 25 charges each, including conspiracy, wire fraud and accepting bribes and gratuities. Luney is convicted of 20 counts. Lori Horne is acquitted of the two charges she faced.

2005

THURSDAY: Ryan sentenced to six months home confinement, five years probation and $72,000 restitution.

FRIDAY: Steve LaBrake sentenced to five years in prison; Lynne LaBrake to three years, five months; and Luney to two years, nine months. Together they must play a total of $142,000 in restitution to the city of Tampa for repayment to the federal Housing and Urban Development agency.

[Last modified February 26, 2005, 01:16:05]