Another US politician has fallen following his arrest nine weeks ago by federal authorities. Former Charlotte Mayor Patrick Cannon had pleaded guilty to one count of honest services wire fraud on Tuesday morning following the unsealing of a Bill of Information, which is a document in lieu of an indictment that usually signals that the defendant is expected to sign a plea deal. Bloomberg said that Cannon was initially charged in a three-count criminal complaint on March 26.
According to prosecutors, Cannon, who is a Democrat, he had taken bribes of over $50,000 in cash plus use of an apartment and other benefits for aiding a strip club owner in the city and real estate investors, who were in actuality two undercover agents of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The charges said Cannon supposedly assisted one of the undercover agents, who pretended in opening a bar without going through the usual regulations of the city. According to prosecutors, Cannon had lobbied potential investors and local officials in favor of a commercial real estate development that is said to be pursued by the second undercover agent. Cannon also allegedly used his influence to aid a strip club owner to relocate his business, as it was in the path of a light rail line.
Businessweek said that the activity underlying the criminal charge slapped against the former mayor had happened during his tenure, which was between late 2009 until March 26, when Cannon had resigned from his post.
On Monday following the unsealing of the Bill of Information, the city of Charlotte issued a statement, which read, "Today we learned about the filing of the Bill of Information by the U.S. Attorney in the Patrick Cannon case. It is our hope that this filing will advance the resolution of the case at the earliest possible date. The City continues to cooperate fully with federal investigators in order to deal appropriately with any allegations of wrongdoing. Until the federal investigation is complete, it is inappropriate for City personnel to comment on any of the specifics of the case."
