A suburban Detroit mayor was indicted Tuesday on a federal bribery charge for allegedly demanding $50,000 in bribes to facilitate the sale of a city property to an outside party.
Inkster Mayor Patrick Wimberly allegedly accepted the bribes from September 2022 through this past April, the indictment said. The bribes began at $5,000 monthly until Wimberly demanded more and they rose to $10,000 monthly, prosecutors said in a news release.
Wimberly, 49, could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 if convicted.
“Elected public officials owe a duty to their community to act in the citizens’ best interest,” U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison said in a news release. “Our office is committed to prosecuting those public officials who betray the public trust by accepting bribes.”
Since forming in 2012, the federal Detroit Area Corruption Task Force has indicted and helped convict dozens of public officials from across the region.
Efforts to contact Wimberly, his attorney, and the mayor's office were unsuccessful.
Wimberly — a former city council member and marijuana entrepreneur — was elected in 2019. He is running for reelection in the November 8 general election.
