| Author
|
Post |
 
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
From Clickondetroit channel 4 Detroit
Riddle Pleads Guilty In Corruption Cases
Riddle Facing 2 Bribery, Extortion Cases
POSTED: Thursday, May 20, 2010
UPDATED: 5:28 pm EDT May 20, 2010
DETROIT -- Detroit political consultant Sam Riddle has pleaded guilty to conspiracy in a deal that closes two federal corruption cases against him.
Riddle was facing a June 1 trial for his role in a bribery scheme involving a Southfield councilman. Thursday was the deadline for him to accept any plea deals.
Watch: Detroit Political Consultant Riddle Pleads Guilty
He pleaded guilty late in the afternoon after private late-afternoon talks with prosecutors and his lawyers at the federal courthouse in Detroit.
Riddle was charged with conspiracy to commit bribery for allegedly receiving bribes from a Southfield pawnshop to help it relocate in August 2007. Former state representative Mary Waters, who also had a romantic relationship with Riddle, is also charged in the case.
Riddle had said he would entertain a plea deal in the bribery case after he was convicted earlier this month of felonies of assault and a firearm charge for pointing a shotgun at Waters and racking it in December, after she said she found him in bed with another woman.
Full Story: May 5, 2010: Jury Finds Riddle Guilty Of Assault
Riddle's deal includes him being allowed to serve his bribery sentence at the same time he serves a two year sentence in the assault and firearms case.
Waters pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of filing a fraudulent tax return.
Former city Councilman William Lattimore has already pleaded guilty to taking $7,500 from Riddle and Waters in connection with the case.
As part of Lattimore's plea, he promised to cooperate in Waters and Riddle's prosecution.
Riddle is being retried in a federal corruption case.
Riddle is accused of extorting bribes with Monica Conyers when he was her top aide at the Detroit City Council. She pleaded guilty to conspiracy last summer and resigned her council seat.
He is charged with seven criminal counts of felony and extortion.
A mistrial was declared in February.
The government has agreed to drop charges in that case. He can withdraw his guilty plea if his sentence exceeds 37 months.
Watch: RAW: Sam Riddle Rants About Prosecutors
Previous Stories:
May 12, 2010: Prosecutors Want Riddle, Waters Watches
April 20, 2010: Sam Riddle Holds Haters Auction
April 14, 2010: Judge: Waters Will Not Be Held In Contempt |
|
|
Thu May 20, 2010 6:05 pm |
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
Riddle me this: Will Riddle kill the pipeline?
By Andrew Heller | Flint Journal
May 20, 2010, 6:00AM
Genesee County Drain Commissioner Jeff Wright has spent umpteen months telling anyone who would listen that the county needs to build its own water pipeline to avoid future price gouging by the city of Detroit, which currently supplies the county with water.
He had a lot of people convinced, including me. (Still does, more or less. More on that later.)
His basic argument was this: Sure, building our own pipeline will cost $600 million, but in the long run that’s much less than what Detroit has in store for us. So pay a little now or pay a lot more later.
You could ask Wright to show you the numbers supporting that view, but I don’t think you’d have to. He’d have his charts out before you can get past, “Hey, Jeff, would you …”
Like I said, he’s been an eager – and effective – advocate for the idea. So much so, that I believe he has most local officials convinced, and more than a few taxpayers, which is saying something considering the general wretchedness of the local and state economy.
But then …
Well, then came last week’s stunner that Wright not only paid Sam Riddle, the longtime political consultant who is facing federal bribery charges in Detroit, to help open doors in the Motor City, but also secretly recorded a call with Riddle for the FBI.
Riddle hasn’t been convicted of anything yet, but last week insiders were saying he was considering a plea deal that would put him in jail for three years for allegedly shaking down companies that had business with the city council.
But make no mistake. Seeing Riddle linked – innocently or not – with the water pipeline project scares the bejabbers out of people. They’re hinky enough about paying more taxes right now for any reason. Any whiff of impropriety could be the kiss of death.
The bungled/tortured/mysteriously incomplete explanations (or lack thereof) from Wright and one of his lieutenants certainly didn’t help matters either.
Wright – so eager to talk up the project for so long – initially clammed up and issued a “no comment” when media came calling, preferring to let John O’Brien, director of the water and waste services division do the talking.
Bad move. First, O’Brien, no p.r. pro, told reporters that Riddle received $1,000 a month for his services. It turned out the amount was $2,000 and that O’Brien had, uh, misremembered.
Then, in a statement, he said Riddle had nothing to do with the pipeline project. Unfortunately, Riddle’s contract said differently, indicating that he was hired to help advance “successful development of a new water pipeline.”
Your impression is probably the same as mine, “If they’re not forthright about that, what else aren’t they being forthright about?”
Which is a shame.
I think – and a lot of people think - this is a worthy, perhaps crucial idea for the county. It deserves to be further explored.
But will it? Or will it suffer from guilt by association?
That’s the riddle, isn’t it? |
|
|
|
Thu May 20, 2010 6:10 pm |
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
Genesee County Drain Commissioner Jeff Wright on helping FBI in Sam Riddle case: "I fulfilled my duty as a citizen"
By Ron Fonger | Flint Journal
May 21, 2010, 5:25PM
Jeff WrightGENESEE COUNTY -- County Drain Commissioner Jeff Wright says was only doing his duty as a citizen when he helped the FBI record a conversation between himself and embattled political consultant Sam Riddle.
Wright issued a statement to The Flint Journal Friday, saying his decision to hire Riddle to a $2,000-a-month contract for parts of 2007 and 2008 was justified because Riddle helped set up meetings with Detroit officials to discuss issues including construction of a new water pipeline to Lake Huron.
And when the FBI approached Wright about helping to make its case against Riddle, the drain commissioner said he was willing and would do the same thing again.
The county currently buys Lake Huron pumped through a Detroit-owned pipeline, but Wright and others have been setting up a new water authority that they say could build a separate transmission line and save the area millions of dollars in the long run.
""During the term of (Sam Riddle's) agreement, I was contacted by law enforcement officials and asked to assist in a public corruption investigation," Wright's statement said. "Every year millions of taxpayer dollars are wasted to public corruption. Necessary public works projects that create jobs and fill important public needs are not provided due to corruption. So when asked to assist I did so willingly."
Federal court filings first showed the Wright-Riddle connection. The records indicated Wright was a confidential FBI source known as "Source-3" in the FBI's investigation of Riddle.
Fox 2 screen shotSam Riddle
Told of Wright's most recent statement, Riddle said, “res ipsa loquitor.”
“It’s a Latin phrase that means ‘the thing speaks for itself,’” said Riddle, who has said previously that he was suspicious of why Wright was approached by the FBI in the first place and suspected agents "have something" on Wright.
Federal agents confiscated Wright's campaign finance documents as part of a public corruption investigation in 2005. Accused of money laundering by Burton developer Blake Rizzo, Wright was never charged with any wrongdoing.
Rizzo eventually pleaded guilty to bribery and misdemeanor insurance fruad charges in state court.
Wright has refused to comment beyond prepared statements about his involvement in the federal probe of RIddle, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy Thursday, closing out two federal cases involving bribes and public officials.
Riddle has characterized those who informed for the government as punks, but Wright said he stands "should to shoulder" with county Prosecutor David Leyton, who recently launched a campaign to change the minset that citizens should not "snitch."
"(I believe) all citizens need to take a stand and assist law enforcement in fighting crime and corruption," Wright's statement said.
The drain commissioner said he never knew Riddle was working for the city of Detroit when his office entered into a consulting agreement for Riddle to help Genesee County in its dealing with Detroit.
"I was not aware he was (working for Detroit)," Wright said. "If we (would have been) we wouldn't have done it."
Told of Wright's comment, Riddle said, "Of course he knew."
(Flint Journal staff writer Kristin Longley contributed to this report) |
|
|
|
Fri May 21, 2010 6:36 pm |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Register
Profile
FlintTalk.com Forum Index
> Political Talk
