Fort Pierce city manager arrested for bid tampering and misconduct

FORT PIERCE, Florida — The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) arrested Nicholas C. Mimms, 51, on charges of bid tampering and official misconduct.

Mimms, who has served as the Fort Pierce City Manager since 2015, was implicated following a complaint about inappropriate conduct related to a request for proposal (RFP) for developing surplus property in the Lincoln Park downtown corridor. The property, consisting of two blighted vacant lots, is owned by the City of Fort Pierce Redevelopment Agency.

During a two-year investigation, FDLE agents discovered that Mimms initiated the process to declare the lots as surplus and then rigged the bid to ensure Lincoln Park Young Professionals (LPYP) received the lease. LPYP is a local nonprofit formed by two former city employees, one of whom is Mimms’ niece.

As the project manager for the RFP, Mimms controlled the bid language and improperly communicated with LPYP, providing them with non-public information. He used his influence to allow LPYP to present its proposal to the Fort Pierce Redevelopment Agency before the bid went public. Agents reported that Mimms improperly influenced the criteria for evaluating each bid and concealed his conflict of interest during the bidding process.

FDLE’s Fort Pierce Field Office continues to investigate the case. Mimms was arrested this afternoon and booked into the St. Lucie County jail with a $10,000 bond pending his first appearance. The case will be prosecuted by the Nineteenth Circuit State Attorney’s Office, with assistance from Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution.

"This is an active and ongoing investigation and additional arrests may be forthcoming," stated the FDLE.

For further information, contact: FDLE Office of Public Information (850) 410-7001