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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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The timing of Wright's cooperation with the FBI coincides with the many stories about Rizzo and alleged Burton Corruption that included Abbey, Smiley, Developers like Rizzo and Arabbo. Several Burton developments have since gone under leaving unsold lots whose infrastructure was financed by the City of Burton.
Kiertzner, Fonger and Bob Leonard were the leaders in the stories;
Here is the link to the Appeals Court decision on Abbeys appeal and it disproves all of Abbeys prior statements that the lot was not given to him and that it was of minimal value.
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
Apr 3, 2009 ... Albert Louis-Blake Rizzo, a local land developer, implicated Abbey in statements he made to county prosecutors following the filing of ...
http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data2/circs/6th/072278p.pdf - - Cached - Similar pages |
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Fri May 14, 2010 7:47 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Federal indictment: Burton aide charged with bribery
By The Flint Journal
May 25, 2006, 4:37AM
BURTON, Michigan -- A top city official was indicted on bribery, conspiracy and extortion charges Wednesday, the first criminal case to surface in the long-running saga over alleged public corruption in Burton.
Burton Public Works Director Charles Abbey is accused of using his former position as city administrator to extort a subdivision lot from developer Blake Rizzo.
A federal grand jury indicted Abbey, a close ally of Mayor Charles Smiley, on one count each of bribery, conspiracy and extortion, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court in Flint. He could face prison and a large fine if found guilty.
Abbey, reached Wednesday afternoon, said he was unaware of the indictment.
"I guess I'm shocked, " he said. "I've maintained from the start that I don't understand this, and I believe I'm innocent."
Abbey said he has documentation he paid $24,000 for the lot, but he declined to give further details without talking to his attorney.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert W. Haviland said arrangements had been made with Abbey's lawyer for Abbey to turn himself in for arraignment.
Burton City Councilman Jamie Curtis said Abbey should resign.
"Abbey denied, denied, denied, and today we have an indictment, " Curtis said. "Obviously, Abbey lied to us."
Abbey is the only public official to be indicted in the fallout over an infamous transcript of a 2003 interview of Rizzo by Genesee County prosecutors. That transcript was leaked to the media in late 2004.
Besides naming Abbey, Rizzo accused Smiley and former Councilman Bob Centilli of bribery and Genesee County Drain Commissioner Jeffrey Wright of money laundering.
None of the others has been charged, and all have denied the accusations.
The allegations surfaced when Rizzo reached a plea deal over two felony counts of insurance fraud. The felonies were reduced to misdemeanors, and he served no jail time.
According to the transcript, Rizzo said Abbey told him he wanted to live in Rizzo's new Maplewood Meadows subdivision, but he couldn't afford the full lot price.
"And then I gave (Abbey) the lot. I said, 'Go ahead, you don't owe me nothing, take it, " Rizzo told investigators according to the transcript.
Genesee County property records indicate Abbey received a lot now valued at more than $36,000 in Maplewood Meadows for free or next to nothing.
The Journal could not reach Smiley for comment Wednesday. But Centilli said Wednesday he stands by Abbey, saying he trusts the official's word.
"I still believe he paid for it, " said Centilli, who lost a re-election bid in 2005 after the accusations surfaced.
Resident Carl Fenner, who closely watches Burton politics, said he's not surprised by the indictment because "it's been in the wind."
"There's some shaky stuff going on there, " Fenner said.
The indictment charges Abbey with conspiracy to bribe a public official, a felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison; soliciting of a bribe by a public official, a 10-year felony; and extortion by a public official, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Abbey also could face fines of $750,000 if convicted.
In the indictment, the grand jury charged that Abbey "corruptly solicited, demanded, and accepted .... a deed to 4260 Meadows" between May and October 2001.
The indictment charges Rizzo gave the lot to Abbey through Amanda Wilcox Spangler, the developer's administrative assistant, "to reward and influence ... Abbey in connection with past and future business transactions of the City of Burton."
The indictment alleges that Rizzo in the transaction signed over a quit-claim deed for the lot to Spangler around June 4, 2001, and Rizzo had her transfer the property to Abbey and his wife, Ann, that October.
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Previous story: FBI seizes Wright's campaign ledger from county |
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Fri May 14, 2010 7:53 am |
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