Former Inkster mayor accused of taking $50K in bribes pleads guilty
(CBS DETROIT) - A former Inkster mayor accused of taking thousands of dollars in bribes has pleaded guilty, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced on Wednesday.
Federal prosecutors say in 2022, Patrick Wimberly, 50, of Inkster, demanded $100,000 to facilitate the sale of city-owned property to an outside party. Wimberly and the person agreed to $5,000 monthly payments that would eventually increase to $10,000 to reach the demanded amount.
Between September 2022 and April 2023, Wimberly received a total of $50,000 to ensure the person would win the bid for the property, according to an indictment.
However, an investigation into the alleged bribery prevented the property from being transferred to the individual.
"Public officials who act in their own best interests, motivated by greed, betray the trust of their communities and the general public," United States Attorney Dawn Ison said in a statement. " We will continue to aggressively prosecute corrupt public officials for their illegal actions."