A federal indictment has charged Inkster Mayor Patrick Wimberly with bribery.
According to the indictment, Wimberly, 49, demanded cash payments to facilitate the sale of property owned by the city of Inkster to an outside party.
The indictment also indicated that a person provided Wimberly with monthly cash bribes to secure the purchase of the property.
Monthly payments started at $5,000, but the parties eventually agreed to increase that amount. After the initial bribes, the 49-year-old said he was ready to increase the payments.
The person agreed but later didn’t provide the amount Wimberly expected, causing the mayor to complain that he was owed a large sum, which caused the person involved to increase the monthly payments to $10,000 in monthly payments.
The indictment indicated that the person provided $50,000 in cash to Wimberly to assure a winning bid on property owned by the city.
Wimberly was charged with bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, violating 18 U.S.C. § 666. This bribery charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.
“Elected public officials owe a duty to their community to act in the citizens’ best interest,” said United States Attorney Dawn Ison. “Our office is committed to prosecuting those public officials who betray the public trust by accepting bribes.”
“Mr. Wimberly was elected to serve the people of Inkster, yet he prioritized his personal interests and greed over their needs,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “The FBI considers public corruption its primary criminal investigative concern and will continue investigating allegations to maintain public trust in elected officials.”
