Three members of the Metropolis Council in South Carolina’s third-largest metropolis accepted kickbacks and bribes to provide out grant cash and rezone land or lied about what they knew, federal prosecutors mentioned Wednesday,
Costs towards North Charleston councilmen Jerome Heyward, Sandino Moses and Mike A. Brown together with 5 others had been introduced Wednesday after a yearlong investigation by the FBI and state officers.
Heyward took a $40,000 kickback from two nonprofit organizations in return for steering to them a part of a $1.3 million grant to combat gun violence in North Charleston, in line with courtroom paperwork.
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Heyward and Brown had been a part of a scheme by a ship maker to rezone land on the Ashley River in North Charleston that was as soon as a hospital and earlier than {that a} fertilizer plant to promote to a ship producer. The corporate provided to construct a park but additionally needed a plant on the positioning.
The councilmen accepted bribes to attempt to get the rezoning handed and by that point the FBI was listening to Heyward’s name, catching Brown saying he was aggravated it was taking too lengthy to get his cash as a result of he wanted to pay for his son’s marriage ceremony, prosecutors mentioned.
The rezoning plan was rejected.
Moses additionally took cash to assist the rezoning. He returned it, however he lied in regards to the provide and what he knew about his fellow councilmen being on the take, in line with charging paperwork.
Heyward is charged with extortion, bribery and wire fraud. Brown is charged with bribery and wire fraud, and Moses is charged with mendacity to federal investigators.
Heyward and Moses plan to plead responsible to their prices on Friday, performing U.S. Lawyer for South Carolina Brook Andrews mentioned.
A lawyer for Heyward did not remark Wednesday. The opposite councilmen and their attorneys did not instantly reply. Heyward and Moses have resigned from council, North Charleston officers mentioned.
“The allegations on this case describe a profound betrayal of belief,” Andrews mentioned at a information convention. “These council members used their positions to not serve their communities, however to complement themselves.”
North Charleston is South Carolina’s third-largest metropolis with about 125,000 individuals. Mayor Reggie Burgess thanked the FBI and state investigators for his or her work to verify residents remained sure with their metropolis authorities. He mentioned the town absolutely cooperated with the investigation.
“Transparency and accountability stay core rules of this administration, and we welcomed this evaluation as a obligatory step to uphold these requirements,” Burgess mentioned.
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