It didn’t take long for Wilfredo A. Ferrer to convince former Opa-locka City Attorney David Chiverton to see things his way.

Twelve days after the city’s Assistant Public Works Director Gregory Harris pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to accept bribes and committing extortion, Chiverton followed suit.

According to a news release issued by the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of Florida, the city’s newest convicted felon “admitted under oath that he sold away his commitment to fairly administer the city’s services – for a personal profit.”

We are shocked, right?

Nah.

We already knew it was just a matter of time before Chiverton copped to being complicit in “one of the largest corruption cases in South Florida in decades,” according to a Miami Herald article posted yesterday, Former Opa-locka city manager pleads guilty in corruption probe.

Even more ominous for other Opa-locka public officials, the Herald reported:

Both Harris and Chiverton, who began cooperating with the FBI after a highly publicized raid on City Hall in March, struck deals with prosecutors in exchange for their knowledge about a host of extortion activities in nearly every city department, including code enforcement and water services.

With Chiverton’s cooperation, the FBI and prosecutor Ed Stamm may be able to build an even stronger case against other city officials suspected of shaking down local businesses for cash.

From up here in the peanut gallery, it sure looks like the next public official to be indicted may be Commissioner Luis Santiago, who was literally caught on tape shaking down an Opa-locka businessman who had turned to the FBI for help.

No one should be surprised if Mayor Myra Taylor will also be implicated.

It might be a long shot, but there’s a pretty good chance that NMB’s Most Wanted, Kelvin Baker will finally receive his just rewards.

After literally destroying the credit rating of North Miami Beach’s water utility by depleting the reserves while he was that city’s manager, Baker was an obvious willing observer of, if not a direct participant in, Opa-locka’s fiscal disaster during his three years as its city manager.  Everywhere Kelvin goes, trouble seems to follow.  The Mayor and Commission of Lauderdale Lakes should be very concerned.

Just saying.

In the meantime, keep your eye on Opa-locka.

Stephanie