3 councilors in the third largest city in South Carolina accused of bribery and overload scheme | News, sports, jobs

(AP) -They members of the City Council in the third largest city in South Carolina accepted bribes and bribes to grant subsidy money and lands of Rezonas or lied about what they knew, federal prosecutors said Wednesday, Wednesday,

The charges against the councilors of North Charleston Jerome Heyward, Sandino Moses and Mike A. Brown along with five others were announced on Wednesday after a one -year investigation by FBI officials and the State.

Heyward took a bribe of $ 40,000 from two non -profit organizations in exchange for directing part of a subsidy of $ 1.3 million to combat armed violence in North Charleston, according to judicial documents.

Heyward and Brown were part of a scheme of a boat manufacturer to pray on the Ashley River in North Charleston that was once a hospital and before that a fertilizer plant to sell to a boat manufacturer. The company offered to build a park, but also wanted a plant on the site.

The councilors accepted bribes to try to approve the rezonification and by then the FBI was listening to Heyward’s call, catching Brown saying that he was upset that it took too long to get his money because he needed to pay his son’s wedding, prosecutors said.

The rezoning plan was rejected.

Moses also took money to support rezonification. He returned it, but lied about the offer and what he knew that his fellow councilors were in the shot, according to accusation documents.

Heyward is accused of extortion, bribery and wire fraud. Brown is accused of bribery and fraud to the cable, and Moses is accused of lying to federal researchers.

Heyward and Moses plan to declare themselves guilty of their positions on Friday, said American lawyer from South Carolina Brook Andrews.

A Heyward lawyer did not comment on Wednesday. The other councilors and their lawyers did not respond immediately. Heyward and Moses have resigned from the Council, North Charleston officials said.

“The accusations in this case describe a deep betrayal of trust,” “ Andrews said at a press conference. “These council members used their positions not to serve their communities, but to enrich themselves.”

North Charleston is the third largest city in South Carolina with approximately 125,000 people. Mayor Reggie Burgess thanked the FBI and state investigators for their work to ensure that residents remain safely with the government of their city. He said the city fully cooperated with the investigation.

“Transparency and responsibility remain central principles of this administration, and welcome this review as a necessary step to maintain those standards.” Burgess said.