(WXYZ) — Detroit City Councilman Andre Spivey pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.
The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan said Spivey and a staffer took tens of thousands of dollars in bribes over the course of four years, accepting over $35,000 in bribe payments in connection with the City Council's oversight of towing in Detroit.
Spivey also reportedly took a $1,000 cash bribe from an undercover law enforcement agent on Oct. 26, 2018.
The maximum sentence for a bribery conspiracy count is 5 years in prison. Spivey's sentencing has been scheduled for January 19, 2022. Spivey, who has served on Detroit City Council since 2009, is expected to resign from office, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
“The people of Detroit deserve a city government free of corruption and pay-to-play politics. The conviction of Councilman Spivey for accepting $35,000 in bribes demonstrates that the federal government remains vigilant and determined in rooting out corruption within the City of Detroit,” said Acting United States Attorney Saima S. Mohsin in a press release.
Spivey Information by WXYZ-TV Channel 7 Detroit on Scribd
Earlier this year, former Detroit councilman Gabe Leland was sentenced to 2 1/2 years of probation for a misconduct in office charge.
Leland represented Detroit's 7th district. Prosecutors said Leland accepted $7,500 in cash during his 2017 re-election campaign and free car repairs in exchange for his vote on a land deal.
During the plea hearing, Leland said he accepted the campaign contribution and knew it was illegal to do so.
In 2018, Leland was also indicted on federal bribery charges, but that case will be dismissed under his plea deal.
