Charlotte Mayor Charged by FBI for Bribery, Extortion

Charlotte, North Carolina’s mayor Patrick Cannon has been in office for less than 6 months, but after an FBI investigation, he was arrested on charges of bribery and extortion.

Reportedly, Cannon accepted $48,000 in bribes from undercover FBI agents posing as businessmen who wanted to work in the booming North Carolina city.

Cannon submitted his resignation letter on Wednesday as well. “I hereby give notice of my resignation from the position of the Mayor of the City of Charlotte, effective immediately. In light of the charges that have been brought against me, it is my judgment that the pendency of these charges will create too much of a distraction for the business of the City to go forward smoothly and without interruption.

“I regret that I have to take this action, but I believe that it is in the best interest of the City for me to do so,” his letter said.

Cannon was elected to city council in 1993, at the age of 26, just two years out of college. He served on the City Council until 2005. He spent four years out of office working as the president of a private parking business, then returned to City Council in 2009. He served on both the city council and as mayor pro tem from 2010 to 2013, when he was officially elected mayor.

The FBI began investigating allegations of bribery and extortion in 2010. The bureau used undercover agents posing as commercial real estate developers and investors looking to buy land in Charlotte. Reportedly, the agents offered bribes to Cannon so they would not “have issues or concerns with city and county officials” over zoning, construction permitting and alcohol regulation. Over the course of the investigation, FBI agents documented five separate occasions in which Cannon allegedly took cash, plane tickets, hotel rooms, and a luxury apartment as bribes from the agents, including a trip to Las Vegas in July 2013, with all expenses paid and $6,000 in cash to spend. The gifts and cash totaled more than $48,000.

In February, Cannon allegedly accepted a leather briefcase with $20,000 cash as a bribe in the mayor’s office, and reportedly angled for a 1% kickback on the alleged $125 million in investments in the city.

In exchange for the bribery and extortion, Cannon promised the undercover agents he would develop streetcar lines near their property to aid their business.

Cannon appeared in court for the bribery and extortion charges on Wednesday, March 26th, and was released on a $25,000 bond. If convicted of the bribery and extortion charges, he faces up to 50 years in federal prison and fines up to $1.5 million.

The Strom Law Firm Can Help with RICO Charges

The federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and similar state racketeering laws give the government a tremendous amount of power to go after those accused of racketeering.

The RICO act is broad and covers a variety of white collar crimes including:

• murder,
• the transportation and distribution of drugs,
• gambling,
• embezzlement,
• extortion,
• theft/armed robbery,
• money laundering, and
• bribery

Being arrested or investigated for federal criminal charges, including bribery and extortion, can be very stressful. However, just because you are under a great deal of pressure does not mean that you are automatically guilty, or that you have no rights in court. For experienced RICO and federal criminal charges defense attorneys who will fight for your rights and work to have your charges reduced or even dismissed, contact the attorneys at the Strom Law Firm, today. We offer free, confidential consultations so that you can discuss the facts of your case with impunity, in a safe environment. Do not hesitate to contact us. 803.252.4800.