Mayor Shawn Brown and family
That's what a corrupt politician looks like.
Posted on 08/20/2006 12:35:06 PM PDT by John Jorsett
Mayor Shawn Brown was arrested by federal authorities Friday on a charge of soliciting and accepting $2,750 in bribe money from a company that wanted to install red light cameras in St. Peters.
Brown's attorney, Scott Rosenblum, said his client would plead not guilty to the charge.
According to the federal indictment, Brown, 34, told an employee of Redflex Traffic Systems Inc. that he would veto a measure approving the purchase of Redflex's cameras unless the company paid him off.
Redflex employees then alerted the FBI and cooperated with the agency in carrying out the alleged bribe, said Jay Heiler, a spokesman for the Scottsdale, Ariz., firm.
"Our company went to the authorities because of the nature of the contact, and that's where the investigation began," Heiler said.
This is the first time in memory that the mayor of a major city in St. Charles County has been indicted.
Brown was one of two area officials indicted Thursday by a St. Louis grand jury. Berkeley City Manager Joseph King is accused of taking more than $25,000 in kickbacks to steer the city's insurance business to a specific agent. Brown was indicted on one count of soliciting and accepting an improper payment from a potential city vendor.
June 16, Brown signed the legislation approving the purchase of Redflex's digital red light and speeding enforcement system. A Redflex employee stopped by Brown's house the following week to deliver the $2,750 check, according to the indictment.
On Friday morning, Brown was pulled over in his car by FBI agents and arrested in a parking lot near his home on Golden Harvest Court. The FBI said Brown at first thought he was being subjected to a routine background check.
"Obviously, he was taken completely off guard when he was arrested this morning," Rosenblum said.
(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...
Wow, what a shock. Red light revenue enhancement is corrupt. Those cameras should be taken down nationwide.
NO mention of party. Most likely a 'Rat. Culture of corruption.
Guess he was caught on camera.
we would be amazed at the numbers of elected politicians who don't get caught in their corruption schemes. The road to riches begins with the first election.
quis custodes custodiat?
I guess!!
Im not sure of his party but St Peters is a middle class Republican suburb of St Louis. That area is one of the reasons President Bush won Missouri twice.
Still not sure of his party but the following is from his bio on the St Peter's web page:
"Honorary Chairman of the Dove Foundation, an organization that works to raise money to benefit the working poor and less fortunate living in St. Charles County.
· Mayor Shawn is a past President of the Loyal Order of Squirrels, is a current Board member, and is very active in helping handicapped children and the elderly."
Hells Bells...I can remember when St.Peters had only ONE stoplight.....and aside from 40,Salt Lick Rd. wasthe way thru downtown....Great Duck Hunting just North of there and one of the many Busch Family farms too,,,,
Heck, Clinton got $1,000,000 for his pardon of Mark Rich. If I were the guy arrested here, I would be kicking myself in the arse big time.
Politicians have to start at the bottom. You cant expect a mayor to get what Jefferson got. $90,000 is the price for a Congressman.
Hey, I'm from Illinois. Here when we refer to an "honest" politician, we mean one whom after you have "bought him off" stays "bought off".
That's what a corrupt politician looks like.
I can show you 100 pictures of corrupt politicians.
A picture of the US Senate.
Red-light firm aids FBI bust
Mo. mayor is accused of soliciting bribe from Scottsdale company
Michael Ferraresi
The Arizona Republic
Aug. 19, 2006 12:00 AM
A Scottsdale-based photo-enforcement company known globally for helping municipalities catch speeders and red-light runners helped the FBI snag a Missouri mayor accused in a corruption case this week.
While most Redflex Traffic Systems cases involve photos, the federal bribery case of Shawn Brown, mayor of St. Peters, Mo., has little to do with speeding, and the potential penalty is much greater than a $157 ticket for a moving violation.
Brown was recently accused of soliciting an illegal $2,750 payment from a Redflex representative, who was working as an FBI informant.
Brown's threat to veto his city's photo-enforcement ordinance came when Redflex pitched St. Peters city representatives in an attempt to acquire a contract comparable to those with Scottsdale, Chandler and Paradise Valley.
A federal grand jury indicted Brown late Thursday.
The indictment alleges that King took a $5,000 cash payment July 17, and that from May 2003 through July he took an additional $25,000 in bribes for awarding contracts for property and casualty insurance and workers' compensation insurance.
Officials would not comment on whether the insurance broker, an independent operator, will also face charges. His name was not released.
King and Berkeley Mayor Kyra Watson did not return phone calls seeking comment. Berkeley, with about 10,000 residents, is in north St. Louis County.
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