September 14, 2023

Statement from Broward State Attorney Harold F. Pryor and the Broward State Attorney’s Office:

City of Miami Commissioner Alejandro “Alex” Diaz de la Portilla and attorney William W. Riley Jr. are facing money laundering and official misconduct charges following an investigation by the Broward State Attorney’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust.

De la Portilla, 58, and Riley Jr., 48, both face the following arrest charges:

One count of money laundering (first-degree felony, maximum possible penalty 30 years)

Three counts of unlawful compensation or reward for official behavior (second-degree felony, maximum possible penalty 15 years per count)

One count of bribery (second-degree felony, maximum possible penalty 15 years)

One count of criminal conspiracy (second-degree felony, maximum possible penalty 15 years re money laundering, third-degree felony re unlawful compensation, maximum possible penalty 5 years)

Diaz de la Portilla is facing additional arrest charges of:

Four counts of official misconduct (second-degree felony, maximum possible penalty 15 years per count)

One count of campaign contribution in excess of legal limits (first-degree misdemeanor, maximum possible penalty one year)

Two counts of failure to report a gift (second-degree misdemeanor, maximum possible penalty 60 days per count)

Riley Jr. is facing an additional arrest charge of:

Failure to disclose lobbyist expenses (second-degree misdemeanor, maximum possible penalty 60 days)

The investigation was assigned to the Broward State Attorney’s Office under the following executive orders by Governor Ron DeSantis, after the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office requested the investigation should be reassigned to avoid any possible conflict of interest or appearance of impropriety. The executive orders may be viewed at: https://www.flgov.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/EO-22-266.pdf and https://www.flgov.com/wp-content/uploads/orders/2021/EO_21-258.pdf

Broward State Attorney Harold F. Pryor said: “I thank and commend the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for their hard work and dedication in investigating this case with our prosecutors. The Broward State Attorney’s Office will pursue justice in this matter.”

Assistant State Attorneys Catherine Maus and Janine Rice, who are handling the case for the Broward State Attorney’s Office, will continue to review all of the facts and evidence and making a formal charging decision in the coming weeks. The case will be handled in the Miami-Dade courts system.

Please see the Florida Department of Law Enforcement media release here and the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics & Public Trust here.