In a significant legal development for Dallas, real estate developer Sherman Roberts has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery. He admitted to making payments to former city council members in exchange for support on his affordable housing projects.
Roberts, formerly with City Wide Community Development Corporation, will be sentenced on March 12, 2025, and could face up to five years in federal prison, reported Fox 4 KDFW.
According to court documents, Roberts paid thousands to former Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway and former City Councilmember Carolyn Davis to secure approvals for projects requiring low-income housing tax credits and city loans.
These funds, allegedly paid in cash with additional promises of future payments, were intended to push his projects, including Serenity Place, Runyon Springs, and Patriot’s Crossing, through city channels.
The bribes allegedly influenced key decisions by Davis, who promoted Roberts’ Serenity Place project and even advised competing developers to withdraw their applications. Her support helped Roberts secure a 9% low-income housing tax credit and a $1.9 million loan from the city.
Davis, who previously pleaded guilty to accepting bribes from another developer, passed away in a car accident shortly after her plea in 2019.
Caraway also played a role, reportedly meeting with Davis and Roberts to discuss support for the Patriot’s Crossing project. Caraway allegedly received cash payments and a monthly stipend to prevent the city from seeking other bids for the project, instead pushing it toward Roberts’ development corporation. Caraway pleaded guilty in 2019 to charges of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and tax evasion and served a reduced prison sentence, being released in 2022.
This case has drawn attention to corruption within the city’s affordable housing initiatives, with Roberts being one of three developers charged. Devin Hall, a Grand Park Place developer, pleaded guilty to related charges in 2020, while Ruel Hamilton, another developer, is awaiting retrial for conspiracy and bribery.
Roberts, now 70, awaits sentencing as Dallas officials and federal prosecutors continue to tackle corruption in the city’s real estate sector. This case marks a broader push to restore integrity within city projects to support low-income residents.
This article was written with the assistance of artificial intelligence.
