Democratic Indiana mayor is arrested and charged with taking a $5,000 bribe from a company in exchange for a lucrative public works contract
- Dennis Taylor allegedly steered lucrative excavation work to a local contractor
- The 76-year-old mayor of Muncie was arrested at his home on Monday morning
- The Democrat could face 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if found guilty
An Indiana mayor has been arrested and charged with taking a $5,000 bribe in exchange for a public works contract.
Dennis Tyler, the Democratic mayor of Muncie, is accused of accepting the money after steering lucrative excavation work to a local contractor.
The charge was unsealed yesterday and Tyler was arrested at his home on Monday morning, an FBI spokeswoman said.
The 76-year-old mayor could face 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if he is found guilty.
Accused: Muncie mayor Dennis Tyler (pictured in January this year) is accused of accepting a $5,000 bribe after steering lucrative excavation work to a local contractor
The alleged bribe to Tyler was paid sometime between 2014 and August 2016, the indictment said. The company which allegedly paid it has not been identified.
The indictment claims that Tyler received the cash through Tracy Barton, a former sanitary official who is already facing fraud charges.
Barton was indicted last year on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, falsification of documents and witness tampering.
Tyler made his first appearance at an Indianapolis courthouse yesterday and a not guilty plea was entered. He was later released from custody.
‘Public officials are entrusted to perform a public service and to legitimately conduct business in the best interest of the community that they represent,’ said U.S. attorney Josh Minkler.
‘Tyler not only betrayed the trust of his community, but violated federal law, and all in an effort to serve his own personal interests.
‘My office intends to prosecute Tyler to the full extent of the law.’
Suspect: The 76-year-old mayor (pictured in January this year in Muncie) could face 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if he is found guilty
Tyler is a Democrat who has been mayor for eight years after serving in the Indiana House.
He did not seek re-election this year and Republican candidate Dan Ridenour won an election to replace him earlier this month.
Tyler’s indictment came amid an ongoing federal investigation that has resulted in Muncie’s former building commissioner pleading guilty to money laundering and wire fraud.
Craig Nichols was sentenced earlier this year to two years in prison and ordered to pay nearly $218,000 in restitution.
Prosecutors alleged Nichols used sham bidding practices and submitted fake invoices to steer work to companies he owned.
He the billed the city more than $376,000 for demolition work that was either never performed or carried out at inflated prices, it was alleged.