Author: Herald Staff

Raul Martinez pleaded not guilty Wednesday during his arraignment in federal court on an amended indictment containing extortion and racketeering charges against the suspended mayor of Hialeah.

A grand jury handed down the modified indictment in early December accusing Martinez of demanding $150,000 from a Hialeah developer in exchange for facilitating Housing and Urban Development contracts.

Martinez was originally indicted in April on nine counts of extortion and racketeering. Gov. Bob Martinez suspended Martinez
from his job immediately after the indictment was submitted.

In November, Martinez's lawyers filed a motion to dismiss the case on the grounds that the prosecution is politically motivated.