MIAMI (WSVN) - Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo has been cleared of several criminal accusations.
Broward County’s Public Corruption Unit said the former mayor did not engage in criminal misconduct following a years-long investigation.
Speaking with 7News on Thursday, Carollo said he was not shocked by the outcome of the public corruption probe.
“First of all, I never even knew that I was being investigated,” he said, “so, to me, it was a surprise that an investigation is closed when there was nothing there.”
Carollo was being investigated for allegedly stalking and harassing the owners of Ball & Chain, a popular bar and lounge in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood, as well as threatening former City of Miami Police Chief Art Acevedo.
Carollo was ordered to pay $63 million after losing a civil case. It accused him of weaponizing police and code enforcement officers against the Ball & Chain’s owners, William Fuller and Martin Pinilla.
“Once and for all, it feels great to finally smoosh that cucaracha,” Fuller told reporters at the time.
But prosecutors at the Broward State Attorney’s Office said Carollo is innocent.
“Of course. They were the ones going – bringing all kinds of lies to the State Attorney’s Office that didn’t hold any order,” said Carollo, “and then the other person was the great Art Acevedo — that was only here six months, thank God — and he went there with a bunch of crack of lies, based upon what I said in an open public commission meeting.”
In a closeout memo on Monday, the head of the Broward Public Corruption Unit wrote:
“The State cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Carollo’s actions rose to a criminal offense.”
While Carollo has been cleared, he’s not in the clear. Another case against him is currently pending, alleging he violated the First Amendment rights and illegally retaliated against Acevedo.
But Carollo said he’s the one who has been bullied.
“These characters, the bar owners from Ball & Chain, what have you, they were bragging all the time, ‘You’re being investigated, you’re being investigated,'” he said.
Fuller and Pinilla did not immediately respond to 7News’ request for comment.
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