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LARGO — A man who once faced multiple charges and possible prison time in an alleged bid-rigging scheme over buying mulch for Pinellas County schools has pleaded guilty to a reduced charge.
Alan L. Smith, 50, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to one count of bid tampering and will serve two years' probation. Judgment was withheld, which means Smith will not have a criminal conviction if he completes his probation successfully.
The plea agreement was negotiated between prosecutors and the defense.
Attorneys on both sides pointed to the fact that Smith went to trial last year on racketeering charges and the jury could not reach a verdict. Jurors and defense attorney Roger Futerman said the jury was 5-1 in favor of finding Smith not guilty in that trial.
Futerman on Wednesday said Smith had made a "best interest" plea, meaning his client did not believe he had done anything wrong, but pleaded guilty because it was in his best interest to do so. He said Smith "is relieved to put this behind him and happy that he's not convicted of what he was charged with."
Pinellas-Pasco Chief Assistant State Attorney Bruce Bartlett said that "in light of the results of the last trial, we felt this would be an amicable way to resolve the matter."
He said one factor in the last trial was that his office could not prove Smith benefited financially from the alleged scam.
However, Bartlett said the state attorneys are continuing to prosecute three others in connection with the case, and they intend to show these others did benefit financially.
They are Paul Jensen, 53; Heath Jensen, 27; and Robert Sciarra, 26.
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