Former Plymouth City Worker Charged With Soliciting Bribes
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A former city worker in the west metro is charged with soliciting nearly $60,000 in bribes and kickbacks in exchange for city projects.
Ronnie Taggart, the former facilities supervisor for the city of Plymouth, is charged with one count of wire fraud, according to U.S. Attorney's Office.
The 50-year-old allegedly devised a scheme in which he would defraud the city by soliciting bribes and kickbacks in exchange for city contracts.
From 2012 to 2016, Taggart received $58,532 in bribes and kickbacks, authorities say. Often, the bribes would be in the form of home upgrades, such as landscaping work, kitchen appliances and electrical work.
To conceal the fraud, Taggart instructed contractors to submit fake quotations and inflate their bids to cover the cost of the kickbacks and bribes.