Detroit Strip Clubs: Feds paint Conyers as bold shakedown artist
July 15, 2009 at 9:36 pm | In Detroit strip clubs | No CommentsShe also resigned from the council, putting an end to one of the loudest, weirdest, shortest, most polarizing and corrupt political careers in memory.
While Conyers plea agreement precludes any additional charges, U.S. District Judge Avern Cohn can consider the information contained in the indictment when he decides her sentence. Under the plea deal, the maximum Conyers can do is five years.
Conyers first took office in January 2006. Just 15 month months later, according to the indictment, Conyers and Riddle began their extortion racket.
The indictment charges:
• Conyers conspired with Riddle to hit up the owner of a technology company for $20,000 to make Riddle a bogus consultant.
• Conyers and Riddle pressured a Detroit restaurant owner to pay Riddle $20,000 for another consulting job that didnt exist.
• Conyers and Riddle received $25,000 from the owner of a strip club with an issue before the city council.
Detroit Strip Clubs: Detroit political consultant Sam Riddle and former state lawmaker …
July 15, 2009 at 9:36 pm | In Detroit strip clubs | No Comments… AP) — A federal grand jury indicted a political consultant Wednesday on corruption charges, accusing him of working hand-in-hand with a Detroit City Council member to shake down businesses for bribes in exchange for favors.
The charges against Sam Riddle came less than three weeks after his former boss, Monica Conyers, pleaded guilty to accepting bribes from a sludge hauler and quit the council, the third conviction in the case.
BONUS COVERAGE: Click here to read copies of the indictments against William Lattimore, Sam Riddle by himself, and Riddle and Mary Waters together.
The charges in the corruption probe so far have focused mostly on that $47 million-a-year deal between the city and a Houston company. But the indictment against Riddle describes other pay-to-play schemes involving a strip club, a technology company, a restaurant and more.
Detroit Strip Clubs: Detroit political consultant, former Michigan lawmaker indicted in …
July 15, 2009 at 9:36 pm | In Detroit strip clubs | No CommentsJune 17th, 2009 Detroit council’s Conyers snarled in bribes probeDETROIT — City Council member Monica Conyers, the wife of a prominent congressman, sought political support from Baptist pastors and prayers from constituents Tuesday as her re-election bid collided with a corruption probe involving cash bribes handed over in fast-food parking lots. A person told The Associated Press that Conyers is the “Council Member A” listed in a court document as receiving more than $6,000 for her fall 2007 vote on a multimillion-dollar sludge contract.
Detroit council member Conyers tends roof, runs meeting amid bribery investigation
June 17th, 2009
Detroit councilwoman under scrutiny, scolds mediaDETROIT — In the glare of a corruption investigation, City Council member Monica Conyers tended to home repairs and chaired a meeting on strip clubs Wednesday but said nothing publicly about an alleged scheme to trade votes for money. “I am not going to talk to you.
See the full article from “Gaea Times”
Detroit Strip Clubs: Feds: Conyers, Riddle teamed up to extort
July 15, 2009 at 9:36 pm | In Detroit strip clubs | No CommentsRiddle also was indicted on various corruption charges involving Conyers, who recently pleaded guilty to bribery in the Synagro deal. Riddle was an aide to Conyers.
Gina Balaya, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorneys Office, said Riddle and Waters will not appear in court today.
The indictment involving Detroit corruption cites four deals in which the feds say that Riddle and Conyers extorted money from people or companies seeking city business. Among the allegations:
• That Riddle and Conyers extorted $20,000 from the owner of a technology company seeking a multimillion dollar investment from the General Retirement System.
• That the pair extorted $20,000 from a Detroit restaurant owner who had business before the City Council.
• Riddle and Conyers extorted another $25,000 from a company operating strip clubs that was seeking a change in licenses from the City Council.
Detroit Strip Clubs: Grand jury indicts former Rep. Mary Waters and Sam Riddle
July 15, 2009 at 9:36 pm | In Detroit strip clubs | No CommentsBoth Papas and Rep. Conyers have denied wrongdoing, and interim U.S. Attorney Terrence Berg said Rep. Conyers is not under investigation or suspected of wrongdoing.
Walter Kraft, a spokesperson for Papas, said he had no comment Wednesday.
Riddle and Conyers also received a large sum from someone representing a strip club who sought a license transfer, the indictment alleges. Based on other federal court records, those alleged demands involved the Zoo Bar in Greektown. And they attempted to receive money from a real estate developer who sought pension funding, under the guise of a Riddle consulting agreement, the indictment alleges. Based on pension board minutes and an earlier grand jury subpoena issued to the pension fund, the real estate company was Melvin Washington’s Phoenix Group, which wanted pension fund assistance to build townhomes along Detroit’s riverfront.
Detroit Strip Clubs: Riddle, Waters indicted by federal grand jury
July 15, 2009 at 9:36 pm | In Detroit strip clubs | No CommentsDETROIT — Congressional candidate Mary Waters and political consultant Sam Riddle were indicted today by a federal grand jury on multiple counts of bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery.
Riddle received two indictments today, one was multifaceted and involved negotiating bribes from a restaurant owner, a Southfield city councilwoman, a strip club representative and representatives of Synagro Technologies, the sludge hauling company that paid former Detroit councilwoman Conyers to approve a 1.2 billion contract with Synagro.
Waters, who served as a State House member and is running to unseat Detroit Democrat Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick in the 13th Congressional District, is included in the second, less broad indictment and is also charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and bribery.
The indictment accuses her of accepting a $6,000 Rolex watch from a jewelry store as part of a bribe. In the same indictment Riddle is accused of accepting $45,000 and a $5,500 watch from a jewelry store for negotiating a bribe with a Southfield councilwoman.
Detroit Strip Clubs: Grand Jury Indicts Political Consultant, Former Lawmaker
July 15, 2009 at 9:36 pm | In Detroit strip clubs | No CommentsGrand Jury Indicts Political Consultant, Former Lawmaker
Sarah Hulett
(2009-07-15)
DEARBORN, MI
(Michigan Radio)
A federal grand jury has indicted outspoken Detroit political consultant Sam Riddle on bribery and extortion charges.
Riddle is a former aide to Detroit City Councilwoman Monica Conyers. He’s accused of conspiring with Conyers to extort money from people who had business before the city council and Detroit’s pension board – of which Conyers was also a member.
The indictment says Riddle and Conyers extorted $20,000 from a technology company, $20,000 from a restaurant owner, and $25,000 from a strip club company. He’s also charged with accepting cash payments for Conyers in exchange for her yes vote on a sludge-hauling contract.
In a separate indictment, Riddle and former state Representative Mary Waters are accused of conspiring to bribe a Southfield city councilman to approve the relocation of a pawn shop.
Detroit Strip Clubs: Riddle, Former State Rep Indicted
July 15, 2009 at 9:36 pm | In Detroit strip clubs | No CommentsIn addition, Riddle is charged with making false statements to FBI agents and mail fraud.
The seven-count indictment claims between March 2006 and December 2007 Riddle conspired with Conyers and other individuals to interfere with commerce through extortion.
View the court documents (.pdf format)
Riddle and Conyers allegedly forced businessmen and consultants to pay money in order to win support for projects and plans.
In one case, the indictment alleges that Riddle and Conyers extorted $20,000 from the owner of a technology company seeking a multi-million dollar investment from the General Retirement System.
Documents show Riddle and Conyers allegedly worked together to extort $20,000 from a Detroit restaurant owner who
had business before the City Council and $25,000 from a company operating strip clubs seeking a change in licenses from the City Council.
See the full article from “WWJ”
Detroit Strip Clubs: Conyers, Riddle teamed up to extort thousands, indictment alleges
July 15, 2009 at 3:48 pm | In Detroit strip clubs | No CommentsRiddle also was indicted on various corruption charges involving then-Detroit City Councilwoman Monica Conyers, who recently pleaded guilty to bribery in the Synagro deal. Riddle was an aide to Conyers.
Gina Balaya, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorneys Office, said Riddle and Waters will not appear in court today.
The indictment involving Detroit corruption cites four deals in which the feds say that Riddle and Conyers extorted money from people or companies seeking city business. Among the allegations:
• That Riddle and Conyers extorted $20,000 from the owner of a technology company seeking a multimillion dollar investment from the General Retirement System.
• That the pair extorted $20,000 from a Detroit restaurant owner who had business before the City Council.
• Riddle and Conyers extorted another $25,000 from a company operating strip clubs that was seeking a change in licenses from the City Council.
Detroit Strip Clubs: Grand jury indicts former Rep. Mary Waters and Sam Riddle
July 15, 2009 at 3:48 pm | In Detroit strip clubs | No Comments… We really gotta make sure your strongest advocate is fairly geeked,” Riddle told the business owner, referring to Conyers, as Riddle demanded money from the owner and said Conyers wanted a $5,000 cut, the indictment alleges using quotes from a federal wiretap.
The owner said he was short of money, but told Riddle, “If I have to do something crazy to get the five, I’ll go ahead and do the five to get the woman off my case.”
Riddle and Conyers also pressured a Detroit restaurant owner into paying a large sum of money “ostensibly for consulting work, which was not performed nor contemplated,” the indictment alleges.
The indictment quotes Conyers as telling Riddle, “You better get my loot, that’s all I know.”
Riddle and Conyers also received a large sum from someone representing a strip club that sought a license transfer, the indictment alleges.
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