A federal indictment was unsealed today charging a former staff engineer for the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kan., with taking bribes, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Willie D. Jones Sr., 58, Kansas City, Kan., is charged with three counts of accepting bribes and five counts of money laundering.
The grand jury indictment alleged Jones accepted three bribes — $6,740, $5,530 and $5,100 – from an individual who owned a company that obtained contracts to do street repairs for the Unified Government, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
It is alleged Jones routed the bribe money through his bank account and an account belonging to Paradise Missionary Baptist Church of Kansas City, where Jones was a minister.
According to the indictment, the UG contracts allegedly were for projects in 2013 at Southwest Boulevard, 55th and Roswell, North 62nd, Booth Street, 86th Street and North 68th Street.
If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each bribery count, and up to 20 years and a fine up to$250,000 on each money laundering count. The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tris Hunt is prosecuting.
Were charges brought against the contractors who gave them as well?
No.