Former Broward Health procurement director admits to taking bribes, accepts guilt
The former procurement director at Broward Health admitted in federal court to accepting over $400,000 in kickbacks from vendors in exchange for giving them lucrative contracts, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The kickbacks included World Cup tickets and vacations to Walt Disney World, the Bahamas and Cancún, records show.
Brian Bravo, 46, from Pembroke Pines, pleaded guilty Tuesday to a single federal conspiracy charge. He is scheduled to be sentenced at noon Aug. 12. He faces up to five years in prison.
Bravo, who worked for the health system from 2005 to 2015, was arrested and charged with two counts of bribery, one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, one count of extortion and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering in January.
Bravo’s job was to secure vendors for products and services including linens, compression sleeves and printer repairs.
Investigators said in the indictment that Bravo accepted $427,000 in kickback payments — $150,000 of it in cash — from two vendors and a consultant for two additional vendors. He concealed the payments “by funneling the payments through Computer Tech and/or Denalix,” companies run by Bravo and a relative, Brando Aguilera, the indictment said.
Aguilera — his relationship to Bravo was not clear — was charged with four counts of structuring transactions involving domestic institutions. He pleaded guilty in March, records show.
This story was originally published June 2, 2021 at 6:00 AM.
