Two Miami-Dade County inspectors have been charged with extortion and fraud after allegedly exploiting family-owned restaurants, coercing them into paying cash under the threat of fines or closure. The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office and State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle announced the charges against Charles Bryant and Craig Bethel, who worked for the Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources. NBC Miami reported that the investigation, dubbed "Operation Grease Trap," uncovered the pair's actions.
According to Local 10 News, Bryant and Bethel reportedly took over $14,000 from businesses. The investigation began when Shinju Japanese Buffet raised concerns about Bryant’s behavior. Bryant was arrested in May 2024 and is back in custody. Bethel was also arrested as part of the investigation, facing charges including organized fraud and unlawful compensation.
State Attorney Fernandez Rundle told NBC Miami, "They felt like they were being robbed. It was their business on the one side, they were going to get violations or shut down or they pay of this guy for a couple hundred dollars." Business owners reported that Bryant threatened fines for nonexistent violations, such as a leaky grease trap, and offered to make the fines disappear in exchange for a $2,000 bribe. Sheriff Cordero-Stutz highlighted the widespread nature of these demands across the local food industry.
At least 15 businesses were impacted, and authorities are concerned that there may be more victims. They are urging anyone with information to contact the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office Public Corruption Hotline or the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office Corruption Hotline. Sheriff Cordero-Stutz told NBC Miami, "From one victim it led us to a second victim and that led us to a second subject. We do believe that there are other victims out there and other people possibly committing this type of extortion and it’s so important that our community understands that if you have that information please come forward."
