ALLEN PARK, Mich. (WXYZ) — Federal Officials confirm the raids they conducted on Tuesday in a public corruption investigation include a business called Realty Transition on Southfield Road in Allen Park and the home of the business owner Shady Awad, also in Allen Park.
Officials with the company did not respond to 7 Action News for comment.
The obvious question is, did company officials pay to play to get contracts in more than a dozen Downriver communities to take over homes that are in foreclosure, have back taxes and are often vacant.
The company rehabs the homes and sell them on the open market under contact with the cities.
A former Federal Prosecutor in Detroit, Anjali Prasad tells 7 Action News this case has likely been in the works for months or even years.
Sources say it started with a wiretap of Gasper Fiore who is in prison now in his own bribery case. He is known for paying bribes to get towing contracts around Metro Detroit and is cooperating with the feds.
That led the feds to Taylor and Mayor Rick Sollars.
Sollars said Tuesday that he’s cooperating with the feds and would not answer if he’s taken any bribes or committed any crimes.
The Mayor of Allen Park is not part of the investigation but tells 7 Action News money transactions or payoffs could be easily hidden.
Nobody has been arrested in this part of the investigation. It continues.
