A Vero Beach man was arrested Thursday on charges he was involved with rigged land auctions in Martin and St. Lucie counties, which state law enforcement agents have been investigating for eight months.

Brandon William Cox, 28, was arrested on felony charges of extortion and battery for allegedly beating up a man last January in order to fix a St. Lucie County auction of foreclosed property. Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigators still are looking for at least one other man involved in the incident.

Witnesses say Cox and other men worked together to fix the Jan. 20, 2006, auction by not bidding, which lowered the price of the property. After the auction, the man who won the property was forced to pay the conspirators for their services.
According to arrest reports, Cox and another man attacked a bidder who suggested the after-auction payments were unfair.

Posted: 01|13|07 at 10:51 am. Filed under: US Property.