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City of Toledo to sue former council members paid salaries during federal bribery case

Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said the planned lawsuit is to recover money from Yvonne Harper, Tyrone Riley and Larry Sykes following their guilty pleas two weeks ago.

TOLEDO, Ohio — The city of Toledo plans to sue former city council members Yvonne Harper, Tyrone Riley and Larry Sykes to recover salaries paid to them when they were arrested and voluntarily suspended their positions two years before pleading guilty on Dec. 16 to charges in a federal bribery case.

Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said it's the city's obligation to recover the money the three council members are no longer entitled to after they each pleaded guilty to violating the Hobbs Act, a law regarding bribery of public officials.

Harper, Riley and Sykes had an annual salary of $27,500.

“It was a sad day for Toledo when these former members of Council pleaded guilty to public corruption offenses," Kapszukiewicz said. "It will be up to the Court to make the appropriate sentence, but Toledo’s obligation is now clear. We will take steps to recover the salaries paid to these members for which they are no longer entitled. Recovering these public monies is the law, it is what other cities in similar situations have done, and I believe it will help close the chapter on this terrible matter.”

Riley and Sykes pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act extortion and Harper pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act conspiracy. All three previously maintained their innocence in the case before switching to guilty pleas.

According to court documents, then-sitting council members Harper, Riley and Sykes took bribes for official support and votes on legislative matters on multiple occasions from May 2018 through February 2020, the Department of Justice said in a press release.

Court documents also show the three "each accepted cash payments in return for their support and votes on zoning changes and 'special use permits' (SUPs) for local businesses," the DOJ said.

Harper's attorney, Peter Rost, said his client decided to change her plea from not guilty to guilty after seeing additional evidence.

Harper and Riley formally resigned from their seats last week.

Gary Johnson, a former council member also charged in the case, refused a plea deal and is expected to appear in front of a federal jury on Jan. 9, 2023.

Local attorney Keith Mitchell also was charged in 2020. Mitchell died in 2021 before facing trial.

The status of John Hobbs III and Vanice Williams' council seats, which they assumed after a Lucas County judge appointed them in September 2020 to replace Harper and Riley, is uncertain after the guilty pleas.

The city is seeking advice from the Ohio Attorney General‘s office, city spokesperson Gretchen DeBacker said in a statement.

Council member Nick Komives said the appointed council people's terms are only good until the trial ends or they are found guilty.

If Hobbs and Williams' terms are decidedly finished, council can vote to re-appoint Hobbs and Williams if their terms are ruled to be finished. The city could also take applications for either position.

Current members Tiffany Preston Whitman and Cerssandra McPherson were also appointed to fill seats due to the federal case. However since they filled at-large seats and won an election, they are not subject to the same limitations.

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