MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich. (WXYZ) — A former president of the Madison District Public Schools Board of Education and a local contractor for the school district were indicted with bribery charges, the FBI said.
Albert Morrison, 60, the former school board president, is accused of taking more than $560,000 in bribes from John David, 64, in exchange for more than $3.1 million in contracts for the district.
Both were charged with bribery conspiracy as co-consirators. They were also charged with three counts of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds.
The charges were added to an indictment filed on April 6 that charged Morrison with tax evasion and failure to file tax returns in connection to the money from David.
During Morrison’s time as board president from 2012 through 2018, David’s company Emergency Restoration was given more than $3.1 million for construction projects at Madison District Public Schools, according to the FBI.
David allegedly wrote checks between 2014 and 2018 from his company to a company Morrison owns called Comfort Consulting. Authorities say Morrison would deposit the checks into his own bank account. The two were longtime friends.
In total, David paid Morrison at least $561,667, the FBI said. They also say David’s company received about $3,167,275 from the Madison District. Morrison admitted to having to “pay to play” in the school district, they said.
Morrison allegedly spent the money he received on person luxuries like vacations to Florida and a boat slip.
The FBI says when Morrison was confronted publicly during a board meeting, he denied having financial ties to David or his company.
Morrison and David also did not tell state of Michigan auditors about the payments, the FBI said.
Authorities say Morrison did not declare payments from David to the IRS as income in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. He also did not file a federal income tax return in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. Federal authorities say Morrison avoided paying about $118,200 in taxes.
“Children and their parents deserve a school system free of corruption,” United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison said in a statement. “Today’s indictment demonstrates our commitment to ensure that our educational systems put the interests of our kids first.”
Morrison and David face five years in prison for the conspiracy count and 10 years in prison for each of the three bribery counts. Morrison also faces a maximum of five years in prison for each count of tax evasion and one year in prison for each count of failing to file tax returns.
“It is important that contracts funded by our school systems be awarded through a fair and transparent process, not through deals funded by bribes to those in positions of power,” said James A. Tarasca, apecial agent in charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “The FBI prioritizes efforts to expose corruption and we will continue to aggressively investigate these allegations alongside our partners at the IRS and Department of Education Office of Inspector General.”
