Four members of the Toledo City Council have been accused of accepting bribes while in office, according to court documents obtained by 13abc on Tuesday.
At least three of those council members have been placed into federal custody. 13abc crews were on the scene as council members Larry Sykes and Yvonne Harper were placed into custody. Federal documents also implicate council members Gary Johnson and Tyrone Riley.
According to a criminal complaint filed with the U.S. District Court, Councilman Sykes faces complaints of "Reciept of Bribe by Agent of Organization Receiving Federal Funds" and "Hobbs Act Extortion Under Color of Official Right." In the affidavit filed along with the complaint, council members Harper, Riley, and Jonson are also named as subjects.
According to the affidavit, in early 2018, the FBI began an investigation into members of Toledo City Council, suspecting members of accepting or soliciting bribes in exchange for votes.
The documents reveal an unnamed source who owns several commercial properties, primarily gas stations and convenience stores in Toledo, pointed the finger at councilman Tyrone Riley.
The alleged pay for votes scheme then unraveled over the next two years and according to the feds involved Yvonne Harper, Larry Sykes, and Gary Johnson.
The court documents detail how each of the council members allegedly accepted payments in the range of five hundred to five thousand dollars for 'yes' votes on zoning requests to internet cafes.
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