Dallas, Texas – A well-known real estate developer in Dallas has accepted a guilty plea for his part in a corruption scandal involving several city officials. U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton of the Northern District of Texas stated Sherman Roberts, age 70, formerly in command of City Wide Community Development Corporation, admitted to bribing two Dallas City Council Members.
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The plea, entered on Tuesday, follows Roberts’s official December 2020 indictment for charges of conspiracy to commit bribery. With large sums of money and major city resources involved, this case clarifies a more general corruption issue inside Dallas’s urban development programs.
Roberts bribed City Council Member Carolyn Davis and Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway to guarantee positive results for his housing developments, according court records. The bribes sought to sway local decisions on loans and tax credits favorable to Roberts’s developments—including the Serenity Place, Runyon Springs, and Patriot’s Crossing apartments.
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According to investigation results, Roberts gave Council Member Davis, who actively advocated on his behalf, thousands of dollars in cash. She notably got the City Housing Committee to give Serenity Place top priority over other projects, obtained a generous tax credit, and had the $1.9 million loan from the City of Dallas approved. Roberts assured Davis of continued money benefits while text conversations between Roberts and Davis exposed their illegal financial activities.
The corruption continued long after Davis left. To control city processes in favor of Roberts’s Patriot’s Crossing project, Mayor Pro Tem Caraway apparently accepted bribes—cash and a promised monthly payment, among other things. Their conversations clearly highlighted the blatant nature of the bribes by expressly noting the financial benefits the project would generate.
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These corrupt actions have serious consequences. Roberts could spend up to five years in federal prison; his sentencing is set for March 12, 2025. Following Mayor Pro Tem Caraway’s 2019 guilty plea and later four-year prison term for related crimes, this case marks another chapter in Dallas’s fight with political corruption. Unfortunately, before she could be sentenced, Council Member Davis—who also entered a guilty plea for the charges—died in a car crash.
This case, which involves multiple real estate developers, is part of a larger investigation of corruption in Dallas. Two additional developers, Devin Hall and Ruel Hamilton, have also been charged; Hall admitted guilt while Hamilton awaits trials.
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The FBI’s Dallas Field Office, along with IRS – Criminal Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, spearheaded the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcus Busch with assistance from Donna Max, emphasizing the government’s commitment to rooting out corruption and restoring integrity to Dallas’s public offices.
