Developer Sherman Roberts Guilty of Dallas City Council Bribery

15 November 2024

Dallas developer Sherman Robert has pleaded guilty in a high-profile bribery scandal involving two former City Council members.

Roberts admitted this week to bribing former Dallas Mayor Pro-Tem Dwaine Caraway and the late City Council Member Carolyn Davis in exchange for their support on key housing projects, the Dallas Business Journal reported.

He faces up to five years in federal prison, with sentencing scheduled for March, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.

The bribery charge centers around Roberts’ attempts to secure low-income housing tax credits and city funding for developments including Serenity Place, Runyon Springs and Patriots Crossing.

Roberts, 70, previously led City Wide Community Community Development Corporation. He provided Davis with several thousand dollars in cash and promised continued payments after she left the council, court documents show. In return, she used her position to push for Serenity Place, recommending the project for a 9 percent low-income housing tax credit and securing a $1.9 million loan from the city.

Davis also pressured other developers to withdraw their applications, ensuring that Roberts’ project would stand out in a crowded field. Davis and her daughter were killed by a drunk driver in July 2019, months after she had pleaded guilty to taking bribes.

The developer’s bribery efforts also extended to Caraway, who received several hundred dollars in cash and a $2,000 monthly stipend. Caraway used his influence to block a city RFP for the Patriots Crossing project, ultimately ensuring that Roberts would be the sole developer for the area. Caraway also pled guilty to bribery and was sentenced to over four years in prison; he was released in 2022.

The case is part of an extensive investigation targeting corruption in Dallas real estate development, with charges brought against two other developers. Devin Hall, associated with the Grand Park Place project, admitted guilt in 2020. Ruel Hamilton, linked to the Royal Crest project, is awaiting retrial after his 2021 conviction was overturned.

— Andrew Terrell