FBI Sting Leads to Arrest of South Florida Mayors Michael Pizzi and Manuel Marono On Bribery Charges

A FBI sting has led to the arrests of two South Florida mayors on bribery-related charges.

Both Miami Lakes Mayor Michael Pizzi and Sweetwater Mayor Manuel "Manny" Marono were taken into custody Tuesday at their offices, reports NBC Miami.

The FBI busted the political leaders by setting up a fake company called Sunshine Universal in 2011 that was designed to target elected officials playing dirty politics.

According to federal prosecutors, Pizzi, a second term mayor, and lobbyist Richard F. Candia were involved in a kickback and bribery scheme over federal grants for both Miami Lakes and Medley. As a result, Pizzi received over $6700 in bribes.

Ironically, back in 1998, Pizzi told the Miami Herald that he went into politics because, "I had this terrible notion that I wasn't giving anything back to the community." He has served as an elected official for the town of Miami Lakes, earning $18,000 a year as mayor, plus a $600-a-month car allowance.

During his tenure, he has been investigated at least twice by the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and the Public Trust, although the complaints that he meddled in a bid process and that he failed to properly register as a lobbyist were eventually dropped.

It's alleged that Marono took more than $40,000 in bribes from the fake company. The rising GOP star became mayor in 2003 and played a role in Gov. Rick Scott's transition team in 2011. An indictment claims Marono and lobbyist Jorge L. Forte were involved in a separate kickback and bribery scheme over federal grants for Sweetwater.

Both complaints charge the defendants with conspiracy to commit extortion. As a result of the investigation, both mayors were suspended from office.