Cincinnati City Councilman Jeff Pastor was arrested at his home on Tuesday morning by the FBI. He is facing 10 federal counts of bribery, extortion, money laundering and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District of Ohio, the official indictment lists the charges as: “one count of conspiring to commit honest services wire fraud (up to 20 years in prison), two counts of honest services wire fraud (up to 20 years), three counts of bribery (up to 10 years), three counts of attempted extortion by a government official (up to 20 years) and one count of money laundering (up to 20 years).”
His business partner, Tyran Marshall, is also facing charges for acting as “a middleman in receiving bribes payments,” says a release. Marshall is being indicted on four charges: conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, bribery, attempted extortion and money laundering.
Cincy City Council member Jeff Pastor allegedly accepted $55k in bribes for official city action
— US Attorney Southern District of Ohio (@SDOHnews) November 10, 2020
The FBI investigation into Pastor and Marshall took place from August 2018 to February 2019 (Pastor joined Cincinnati City Council at the start of 2018) and, according to U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio David M. DeVillers, during that time, Pastor accepted $55,000 in bribes — $45,000 of which were made in cash payments.
“The bribes were in turn for votes and influence over the city council on two developments,” DeVillers said during a press briefing today.
The city developments aren’t named in the federal indictment, but DeVillers said the investigation involved an undercover FBI agent and two confidential witnesses — one of which was former Bengals player and now developer Chinedum Ndukwe. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, Ndukwe’s potential development at the former Convention Place Mall downtown, across from Duke Energy Convention Center, is one of the two projects listed.
“It wasn’t just cash and money that went into this bribery; they also solicited for salaries from these two individuals and these two developments,” said DeVillers.
According to the indictment, Marshall created a nonprofit business, Ummah Strength, to accept cashier’s checks and transfer them as cash to Pastor. “I believe Mr. Pastor described it as ‘sanitizing’ the money,” DeVillers said.
In addition, the indictment lists a September 2018 trip to Miami, Florida on a private plane to meet with investors that Pastor never paid for or disclosed. Per the indictment, during that trip, Pastor said he “would ensure favorable official action in the City of Cincinnati for (Project 1). Pastor also explained during the meeting that he could receive money through Marshall’s nonprofit entity.”
Pastor allegedly agreed to a $15,000 payment during that trip alone to help Project 1 and Project 2, filtered through Ummah Strength.
“This indictment is indicative of a culture of corruption that we have and we need to address. A culture of extortion, a culture of pay-to-play,” DeVillers said.
“It has to end.”
Per the U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District of Ohio, Pastor and Marshall also "allegedly solicited and received another $20,000 in October and November 2018. They allegedly received two $10,000 payments in exchange for Pastor’s official city action benefitting a second project.”
“As you’re aware, we’ve had a lot of corruption here in the Southern District of Ohio this past year,” DeVillers said. “We want to flip that script.”
In February, Cincinnati City Council member Tamaya Dennard was arrested and later pleaded guilty to federal charges of extortion, bribery and wire fraud.
The charges are based on an affidavit from the FBI with information from an unnamed individual — an employee at a law firm involved with development at The Banks identified in the affidavit as CHS — alleging Dennard asked for between $10,000 and $15,000 in exchange for advantageous votes on business before city council.
“The fact that we had two in one year, that tells you all you need to know,” DeVillers said, adding, “It’s almost more disturbing that (Pastor and Dennard’s federal bribery charges) had nothing to do with each other.”
After the news broke, several called for Pastor’s resignation, including Republican Party Chair Alex Triantafilou.
While Mr. Pastor should be afforded the presumption of innocence and due process, he is not entitled to continue working for the citizens of Cincinnati as he sorts through whatever charges may be coming. (2/3)
— Alex Triantafilou (@ChairmanAlex) November 10, 2020
Jeff should resign his position on City Council and make his family and his defense a top priority. (3/3)
— Alex Triantafilou (@ChairmanAlex) November 10, 2020
And council member and fellow Republican Betsy Sundermann.
I was deeply shocked and saddened to hear the news about Councilmember Jeff Pastor's arrest this morning. While he is owed the presumption of innocence and due process, I firmly believe he needs to step aside from his role on council and resign immediately. It is clear that, 1/X
— Betsy Sundermann (@voteSundermann) November 10, 2020
Mayor John Cranley made a formal statement Tuesday afternoon, saying: "Public trust is not a commodity to be bought and sold by politicians. If the charges against Pastor are true, then it is undoubtedly one of the most egregious and disgusting acts of corruption and betrayal ever perpetrated on our City. Given the serious nature of the charges, for the sake of public trust in the important work we do every day, he must resign immediately."
According to his successor designation certificate, Pastor has listed Amy Murray and Vice Mayor Christopher Smitherman as the parties to select his replacement if his “office become vacant due to any cause.”
Pastor and Marshall appeared in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie K. Bowman. According to WCPO, Clyde Bennett is representing Marshall and Pastor has a public defender.
Read the full indictment below:
Indictment of Cincinnati Councilman Jeff Pastor by Maija Zummo on Scribd
