New documents outline former Brevard County clerk of court bribery scheme

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — New documents outline former Brevard County clerk of court bribery scheme

A former Brevard County clerk of court is at the center of a bribery and official misconduct case.

Prosecutors said Mitch Needelman funneled money back into his own failed re-election campaign.

Eyewitness News was there when Needelman was released from the Brevard County Jail back in August.

Channel 9 received documents from the state attorney's office detailing the allegations behind what investigators say was the questionable $8.5 million Blueware digital scanning contract that landed Needelman, Blueware/Blugem CEO Ross Harr and Needelman associate Matt Dupree in hot water with the state.

Some of the most damaging allegations came from former Blueware Chief Operating Officer Nick Geaney.

He told investigators he was introduced to Needelman by Dupree.

Geaney claims Dupree said he was under a contract and that a portion of funds would return to him.

Geaney said he felt like he was in a gangster film.

But, he said his CEO told him "to pay the man."

Before the contract was signed, Blueware was asked to audit the clerk's IT department for $10,000.

Geaney claims the money was to be routed back to Dupree for a Needelman political mailing.

According to other statements, hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments were made to Blueware before the signing of that digital scanning contract, yet investigators said Blueware was having trouble making its payroll.

Investigators also allege that Needelman told his staff members to use their personal computers to avoid creating a public records trail.

WFTV