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MIAMI---A North Palm Beach attorney has been charged in a criminal investigation for failing to disclose and affirmatively concealing from law enforcement his knowledge of Anthony Masilotti's use of his position as a member of the Palm Beach County Board of Commissioners to advance the real estate transaction involving the South Florida Water Management District.
Attorney William R. Boose III, 62, or North Palm Beach is accused of misprision of a felony. If convicted, he faces a maximum period of three years of incarceration and a $250,000 fine.
Boose is charged with failing to disclose and affirmatively concealing from law enforcement Boose's knowledge of, and information related to Masilotti's use of his office to advance the sale of the Nine Gems transaction to the South Florida Water Management District. Prosecutors say that Boose knowingly and materially altered notations, notes and a billing statement in Boose's file to conceal Masilotti's involvement and then subsequently lied to federal investigators regarding his knowledge of Masilotti's involvement in the Nine Gems transaction.
Masilotti allegedly participated in one land deal in Martin County, known as Nine Gems, in which Masilotti had a secret ownership interest. According to the information, the Nine Gems deal involved the sale of tract of land to the South Florida Water Management District, a state agency whose mission is to help protect and manage the region's water supply. In this transaction, Masilotti allegedly misused his official position to advocate and publicly endorse the SFWMD's purchase of the Nine Gems parcel without disclosing his ownership interest in the property to Martin County officials, the SFWMD, the BCC or the public. To hide his ownership interest in the Nine Gems property, Masilotti allegedly created a trust in the name of another to purchase the property. After a complicated series of transactions, Masilotti profited $1.7 million from the Nine Gems sale to the SFWMD, prosecutors said. He then used the proceeds of the sale to purchase 13 separate certificates of deposit for $100,000 each, in the names of various family members, to further conceal his interest.
Masilotti has been charged with misusing his position to personally enrich himself, his family and his secret business partners in a series of land deals in Palm Beach, Martin and Brevard Counties.
In regard to Boose's arrest, U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta stated, "A law degree is not a license to assist public officials in violating the law. Indeed, of all professions, attorneys and law enforcement officials have a heightened duty to take all possible steps to uphold the law. This prosecution evidences our commitment to vigorously prosecute and bring to justice not only those who misuse their public offices for personal gain but also those who knowingly assist and conceal such crimes."
Jonathan Solomon, special agent in charge of the Miami FBI Office, added, "As an attorney, William Boose had a duty to represent business dealings with the county in an ethical and transparent manner. Instead, he disguised the true nature of Masilotti's land transaction for his own personal gain. Public corruption will remain a top priority for the FBI and we will devote the necessary resources to combat it". 11-04-06
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© 2006 North
Country Gazette
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