DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Palus Politicus Federal agents take Toledo city council members into custody amid bribery probe

Politics is politics....wherever you are. Even in my backyard, lol. Of course, they're all dems.

The Blade

The FBI has arrested multiple Toledo city council members accused of taking cash in exchange for votes during what is described in court records as a years-long, sweeping bribery scandal involving some of the city’s highest elected officials.

City council members Tyrone Riley, Yvonne Harper, Larry Sykes, and Gary Johnson are all charged in federal court with accepting bribe payments for official acts and extortion, according to criminal complaints filed Tuesday. Keith Mitchell, an attorney who is accused of funneling bribes to Ms. Harper, also faces bribery and extortion charges. Ms. Harper is charged as well with interstate communications with intent to extort.


FBI Special Agent Eric Smith in a Tuesday afternoon news conference said the four councilmen were arrested without incident earlier in the day, while authorities are "actively seeking the whereabouts of Keith Mitchell."

He said the councilmen committed a "fundamental breach" of the oath they took upon taking office, and violated the public's trust for their own personal gain. The maximum prison sentence for bribery is 10 years, while the maximum for the extortion charge is 20.

Ms. Harper could face an additional two years in prison for the additional charge.

“Maintaining the public’s trust in its elected officials is one of the Department of Justice’s core responsibilities.” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said in a statement. “The residents of Toledo should know, as should every other resident of the Northern District of Ohio, that where there are allegations of public corruption and kickbacks, we and our federal partners will be there every time.”

The four council members appeared before Magistrate Judge James Knepp II by video conference in U.S. District Court in Toledo on Tuesday afternoon.

U.S. Assistant Attorney Michael Freeman said the government did not seek detention for any of the defendants. Each councilman was released on a $50,000 unsecured bond, meaning if they fail to appear in court, they owe the government that much money. Additionally, they were barred from out-of-state travel and from having contact with co-defendants, victims, and witnesses.

“I don’t know anything; I don’t know how this came about,” Mrs. Harper told The Blade as she left the courthouse Tuesday afternoon.

She would not address the accusations of soliciting bribes, nor would she say if she will step down


Ronnie Wingate, an attorney representing Mr. Sykes, declined to comment on Tuesday.

Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said in a statement Tuesday that he was “shocked and heartbroken by today’s arrests.”

“This is a terrible day for Toledo — and for everyone who believes in the good that can be accomplished through public service,” he said.

Matt Cherry, president of city council and a Democrat like his accused colleagues, said he and other councilmen are cooperating with the investigation.

“Corruption of any kind cannot be tolerated and has no place in the government of Toledo and Ohio,” he said.

Court records suggest that one council member — Mr. Riley — has been soliciting bribes since at least 2013. It was Mr. Riley’s actions that also seemed to draw the FBI’s attention to Toledo city council.

The criminal cases appear to have started on March 5, 2018, when a federal law enforcement agent interviewed an unnamed source who owns several commercial properties, primarily gas stations and convenience stores, within the city. That person, who was arrested in 2018 for being in the U.S. illegally, reported previously providing things of value to Mr. Riley in exchange for his vote on matters before council.

Investigators noted that they believe the source married a U.S. citizen in 2000 with the sole intent of obtaining immigration benefits, but was denied lawful permanent resident status based on the fraudulent marriage, which was denied. The source has remained in the U.S. without lawful immigration status and is still subject to criminal and immigration consequences, according the complaint.

The source in 2013 purchased a gas station and convenience store on Dorr Street. Shortly thereafter, another business wanted to open a competing store nearby, and that businessman needed city council to approve a special use permit to open.

When the source asked Mr. Riley to vote against the permit, the councilman asked for a political donation, according to the criminal complaint.

The source wrote a $300 check to Mr. Riley, a complaint states. Additionally, Mr. Riley asked the source if alcohol could be delivered to the source's business for Mr. Riley's upcoming fund-raiser, the complaint states.

"Source 1 opined Riley did so in order to avoid paying the requisite taxes on alcohol by having the alcohol delivered to a liquor license holder. Source 1 agreed to accept the delivery of alcohol," according to the complaint.

Mr. Riley also requested that the source pay the delivery fee of $300. The source agreed, as long as Mr. Riley didn't cash the $300 check he/she just provided, court records state.

Still, Mr. Riley cashed the $300 check, and the councilman did not reimburse the source for the delivery fee, in essence taking $600.

In May, 2018, the source filed paperwork with the city requesting a "curb cut,” a small ramp built into the curb of a sidewalk, to be placed near a Dorr Street gas station in order to increase traffic flow into the business. The business was in Mr. Riley's district and such a request required a special permit that needed approval from city council.

Prior to the vote on May 23, 2018, the source met with Mr. Riley for lunch to discuss the matter. Mr. Riley expressed his support for the project.

After the meal, Mr. Riley never attempted to pay for his portion of the approximately $130 restaurant bill, according to court records.

"Mr. Riley then ordered a meal (prime rib and carrot cake) 'to go,' knowing source 1 would pay for it," a complaint states.

During a conversation in the parking lot, Mr. Riley also told the source he wanted $2,000 to be delivered to a family member. The source believed the money depended on whether the councilman would vote for his requested special permit.

During a second lunch meeting on May 31, 2018, the source discussed the "curb cut" with Mr. Riley, records show. The source then provided Mr. Riley with $2,000 and informed Mr. Riley that it was the money, “for his support,” according to court records. A second unnamed person, identified as 'middleman 1' in court documents, joined the source and councilman for lunch then added $1,000 for Mr. Riley to accept a total of $3,000.

The middleman was directed to take the $3,000 in lieu of Mr. Riley accepting the funds in a public setting, records show. The middleman then purchased four $500 money orders with the money, forging the source's name as the purchaser with the money orders payable to Mr. Riley.

Over several months, Mr. Riley deposited $1,500 worth of money orders in his "Riley for Council," account and then deposited the other $500 money order in his "Smith Park Community Coalition" account.

On Dec. 10, 2018, an FBI agent approached the middleman, who admitted to paying bribes to Mr. Riley and acting as a conduit to funnel bribes to the councilman, according to the complaint. That person then agreed to cooperate with the FBI investigation, becoming identified as source 2 in court documents.

Source 2 does not have a criminal history, however his/her actions prior to cooperating are subject to criminal penalties. Internet cafe businesses may be in violation of federal or state gaming laws, records show.

The next day, source 2 spoke to Mr. Riley about the "curb cut," and indicated the first source was willing to pay more money if necessary.

On Jan. 2, 2019, source 1 — the owner of the Dorr Street gas station — again met for lunch to discuss the May, 31, 2018 bribe payment.

Mr. Riley reassured source 1 that he would take care of everything necessary to get the special permit approved, records show. He also asked the source to financially support a re-election event and again left without paying for his meal.

On Feb. 28, 2019, source 1 attended a neighborhood meeting hosted by Mr. Riley, where he addressed the "curb cut" for the gas station. No objections were raised by the attendees, according to court records.

On March 14, 2019, the gas station owner's permit regarding the "curb cut" passed the plan commission with a recommendation for approval. It was then scheduled for a full vote before city council in April, 2019.

On April 30, Mr. Riley informed source 1 that he garnered enough votes for council to support the permit, but that he would have to abstain from voting, according to the complaint. He later told the source that his abstention was to make sure that was no “appearance of impropriety.” City council approved the special permit for a "curb cut" at the Dorr Street gas station, but source 1 was required to install a sprinkler system on the property.

The gas station owner then met with Mr. Riley for lunch on May 9, 2019, thanking the councilman for his assistance. Mr. Riley again left the restaurant without paying for his meal, and added a piece of carrot cake "to go," according to the complaint.

On Tuesday, Mr. Riley told The Blade while standing outside the federal courthouse that he did not accept any bribes, and he needed to review the charges to understand how the allegations came about.

Internet cafe votes

Before ever becoming an FBI informant, the ‘middleman’ from the gas station curb cut exchange had applied for his own rezoning request to open an internet cafe business on Holland-Sylvania Road in April, 2018, according to the complaint. In that matter, too, the source paid Mr. Riley $3,000 for his support, according to court records.

The cafe came up for a vote on Oct. 23, 2018, and an FBI agent present at that council meeting witnessed Mr. Riley give source 2 a "thumbs up," in council chambers.

The next day, the source sent an additional payment of $1,000, which Mr. Riley directed to go to the Smith Park Community Coalition.

Federal investigators confirmed that the source paid Mr. Riley a total of $2,000 based on bank records.

Internet cafes continued to play a role in the FBI probe as it unfolded.

In October, 2018, source 2 applied for a special use permit to open an internet cafe on Central Avenue, which was within Ms. Harper's district.

The source was not as familiar with Ms. Harper and reached out to a fellow Toledo business owner in the area, who received a renewal of a liquor license in April 2016, despite strong opposition from neighboring businesses and Toledo police, court records show.

The fellow business owner told source 2 that he paid approximately $5,000 in bribes through a local attorney — Mr. Mitchell — which was "the only way to ensure her support," according to court records. The business owners suggested source 2 do the same thing.

Authorities contend source 2 eventually bribed four city council members for the special use permits: Ms. Harper through Mr. Mitchell, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Riley, and Mr. Sykes. Council unanimously passed the special use permit on Feb. 25, 2020.

Mr. Johnson told The Blade that he was confused by the whole situation and needed to hire an attorney.

Upon his exit from the courthouse, a reporter asked Mr. Sykes if he intends to step down:

“For what?” he said.

Good.

We don’t need anymore Clay Davis types in politics.

Wow. All democrats too.

I don't know anything about Toledo, yet it does bore me.

I was going to say, not to defend them but Toledo seems boring to me, guess I've avoided the place for a hundred times, so , seriously, I'm not qualified to say it's boring,

but even trying to read this interesting subject,


ehh nevermind, Good luck to em,

Maybe someday that city will be known for something. Is it me?

Is it you? All depends. You don't know anything about it, according to you. You avoid it, according to you. So, how do you know it bores you?

Awesome zoo. Uh, the Toledo Symphony Orchestra? The mudhens. Great dining, with all (well, most) foods represented.

This, however, is not about the city and it boring you.

This is about corruption in city politics, and I can guarantee you it carries over to state, and federal politics.

These city council members making decisions for money? Bribes, extortion. There's a reason it's a crime.

These people also get the benefit of a trial.

Which political party they come from is secondary, in my opinion. What's primary is the FBI had enough evidence to charge them. They've (the charged) put more poison out as far as not trusting politicians.

The city is in financial mess. I wonder why?

Pffftttt......The Trump era and the trumpians.........pfffttttt....

Innocent until proven guilty cept they’re a dem. ..soooo guilty!

And when they are proven quilty......Good I hope they throw the book at them and lock em up.

Where did anyone say they were guilty?

If you want to see guilt before innocence posts, please read any lib post about Trump. The bounty thread has plenty of examples, and quite a few by you.

Trumpists, Trumpites?

When they are thrown in jail the idiots in Toledo will just vote in another group of Democrat crooks.

Sort of how some people would just reelect crooks already in office.

Marion Berry approves this post.

So do millions of Republicans.

I agree with that. I really do.

I will add the Feds don't usually act until they know they have you red handed.

I could be wrong here, but I doubt it. They have phone records, video tapes, phone taps.

They aren't fishing at this point, they already have what they need.

Yet that doesn't seem to be what so many are saying about all of the Trump cronies that were not only investigated, but convicted as well.

Ok....so you disagree with me. Maybe the Feds don't know what they are doing. Maybe VP Biden gets elected. Then it will be time for
President Biden to get on his knees and kiss my shoes.

Oh I agree as long as you understand it works that way with both parties. But Biden kissing your shoes? What crack did you pick that out of?

Yours? LOL



Time to end it pal, this isn't going anywhere constructive.

I love ya.

I love ya too man. Even though you vote the same as white supremacists. So that means you...