Lead state prosecutor Tim VanderGiesen spent hours Monday morning going through 344 pages of texts from 2016 and 2017 between Martinez and his employer at Centurion Security, Ed Heflin, who was on the witness stand. Several of the texts focused on Heflin bouncing checks to Martinez, who seemed concerned that the company's money woes could lead to a losing bid for the county contract. In one message, Martinez seemed to beg Heflin to make sure the company didn't miss the deadline for a bid proposal as it did in the past with an opportunity at PortMiami.
In another text in October 2016, Martinez told Heflin, 'we're being recommended. But the financial situation may mess us up.' Heflin, who was wheeled into the courtroom after surgery, confirmed the texts were accurate. This testimony elaborates on the tensions between their professional relationship and Martinez's alleged financial troubles.
Defense Attorney Neil Taylor tried to quickly shoot down any implication of a quid pro quo. He pointed out that not only was Martinez a private citizen between election victories when he helped Centurion Security bid for the contract, but that his client didn't receive any compensation for helping his company pen a deal with Miami-Dade worth tens of millions of dollars.
'He walked away from hundreds of thousands of dollars he could have had when he informed you, 'That's very kind, but I'm thinking of running for office again,' Taylor asked, emphasizing that the actions did not indicate any legal wrongdoing but rather political aspirations.
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