Real estate developer sentenced for bribing former Taylor mayor with cash, home renovations
(CBS DETROIT) - An Allen Park real estate developer will spend one year and one day in prison for bribing the former mayor of Taylor with cash and home renovations.
According to court documents, Shady Awad, 44, bribed former Taylor Mayor Richard Sollars with cash, home improvements to the then-mayor's home and lake house, appliances and other items between 2016-2018 in exchange for receiving tax-foreclosed properties from the city to redevelop. Awad allegedly charged more than $19,000 to his credit cards and converted the charges to cash for Sollars.
"Mr. Awad's conviction and sentence should send a strong message that not only will public officials who accept bribes be brought to justice by my office, but also, those who seek to gain an advantage by bribing public officials will face serious consequences as well," said U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison.
Sollars pleaded guilty in 2023 to accepting bribes totaling more than $85,000. As a result of the bribes, Sollars recommended to Taylor City Council that Awad receive a majority of the city's Right of First Refusal program properties, a program that allowed the city to purchase tax-foreclosed properties from Wayne County for redevelopment.
"Mr. Awad and the former Mayor of Taylor unlawfully corrupted the City of Taylor's real estate redevelopment program, meant to benefit the city and its residents, for their own private gain," said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan, in a statement. "FBI Michigan's Detroit Area Corruption Task Force remains committed to rigorously investigating public corruption, especially individuals who cheat the system by bribing public officials."