Fort Pierce City Manager Nick Mimms Arrested for Bid Manipulation and Abuse of Office

Fort Pierce – Thursday, August 15, 2024: The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) has arrested Fort Pierce City Manager Nicholas C. Mimms for bid rigging and abuse of office. Mimms, 51, has been Fort Pierce City Manager since 2015.

The case began after FDLE received a complaint about inappropriate conduct by a city official in connection with a bid to develop surplus land in the Lincoln Park downtown corridor. The land (two blighted brownfield sites) is owned by the Fort Pierce City Redevelopment Authority.

During the two-year investigation, FDLE agents discovered that Mimms initiated the process to have the properties declared surplus and then intentionally rigged the bidding process to ensure that Lincoln Park Young Professionals (LPYP) would receive the lease. LPYP, a local nonprofit, was founded by two former city employees, one of whom was Mimms' niece.

Mimms, who served as project manager for the bid, controlled bid language and inappropriately communicated with LPYP by sharing nonpublic information. He used his influence to ensure LPYP was able to present its idea to the Fort Pierce Redevelopment Agency before the public bid. Agents say he inappropriately influenced the criteria for evaluating each bid and concealed his conflict of interest during the bid process.

The FDLE's Fort Pierce Field Office continues to investigate this case. Mimms was arrested Wednesday afternoon and booked into the St. Lucie County Jail. He is being held on $10,000 bail pending his initial appearance. The case is being prosecuted by the 19th Judicial District Attorney's Office with assistance from Attorney General Ashley Moody's Office of the State Attorney.

The investigation is still ongoing and further arrests may occur.