In the latest turn in a long saga with the city of North Miami Beach, Mayor Anthony DeFillipo has now been arrested and faces felony charges for illegal voting. NBC6’s Phil Prazan reports
North Miami Beach Mayor Anthony DeFillipo has been arrested and is facing charges involving voting irregularities, officials said.
DeFillipo, 51, was arrested Wednesday and booked into the Miami-Dade jail on three counts of an unqualified elector willfully voting, a third-degree felony, records showed.
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"We believe that evidence shows that he voted illegally three times," Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon.
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"I totally forgot, it was an oversight and I had it fixed immediately when I noticed," DeFillipo told NBC6. "We’re human, we make mistakes."
DeFillipo and the North Miami Beach commission have been embroiled in controversy dating back to last year.
"Following the news conference by State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle, the City of North Miami Beach will watch closely as the legal process runs its course," North Miami Beach spokesperson David F. Jeannot said in a statement. "To rebuild trust in this community is no small feat however, we are focused on earning your confidence back. NMB is a resilient community, and together we will emerge stronger from this. We thank you for your continued support as we work towards a more transparent and accountable city government.
NORTH MIAMI BEACH DRAMA
In December, a resident and a commissioner’s former campaign worker filed a complaint with the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust claiming the mayor lived in Davie with his family and not in North Miami Beach as required by the city charter.
Some commissioners began refusing to attend city meetings, arguing the mayor didn’t have the authority to preside over the meetings.
In January, the mayor’s attorney filed a lawsuit seeking to lower the number of commissioners needed to attend meetings. The city countersued over the mayor’s residency with an outside law firm.
“While this issue makes its way through the judicial system and the Governor's office, my colleagues and I must come together to continue serving the residents of North Miami Beach," Commissioner McKenzie Fleurimond said in a statement. "The advancement of the city remains my priority. “
Under oath, DeFillipo cited "marital issues" and concerns over crime for his family’s move. His wife and children live in a $1.2 million home in Davie. The mayor insisted he’s always lived in the city, first with his mother, then in his one-bedroom condo.
In March, the Miami-Dade State Attorney confirmed to NBC 6 they were reviewing the situation in the city. Legal experts told NBC 6 the only state law possibly in question was how the mayor voted three times in 2022 from his old home he sold in 2021.
