ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ

St. Louis Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed and former aldermen Jeffrey Boyd and John Collins-Muhammad were charged last week with accepting bribes from a small business owner for their help in securing property tax breaks and other favors.

Boyd resigned on Friday ²¹²Ô»åÌýCollins-Muhammad resigned last month. 

Here are key takeaways from the charges brought by federal authorities.

What are they accused of doing?

Collins-Muhammad and Reed are accused of accepting bribes to help a small business owner obtain a property tax break for a new gas station and convenience store on Von Phul Street, near Interstate 70. The business owner is identified only as “John Doe� in court documents.

Reed is accused of accepting $9,000 in cash in relation to tax abatement bills. Prosecutors also alleged that Doe gave Reed $6,000 in cash and $3,500 in campaign contributions for Reed’s help in trying to win city contracts for Doe’s trucking company and to obtain city certification as a minority business enterprise.

Collins-Muhammad is charged with accepting $7,000 in cash, $3,000 in campaign donations, a new iPhone 11 and a 2016 Volkswagen CC sedan in exchange for his help.

The indictment details a separate scheme related to Doe’s purchase of a commercial property in Boyd’s ward. Prosecutors say Boyd accepted $9,500 in cash and repairs worth about $2,300 for two vehicles. Boyd is also accused of seeking $22,000 from an insurance company for damage to vehicles that he falsely claimed to own.

What are they charged with?

Collins-Muhammad faces two bribery-related charges and one charge of honest services bribery/wire fraud. Boyd faces two bribery-related charges and a separate, two-count wire fraud indictment. Reed faces two bribery-related charges.

Was anyone else involved?

Collins-Muhammad is accused of setting up a meeting with another public official who could steer business to Doe’s trucking firm. That official, however, is not identified in the charging documents.

Collins-Muhammad later asked for an additional $2,500 on behalf of the unnamed official, but he used it to buy a 2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer SUV for himself, the indictment alleges.

Surveillance and recordings

The charges followed a two-and-a-half year investigation by the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office. It included surveillance, recorded phone calls and meetings and a review of thousands of text messages and emails.

The indictment includes transcripts of communications between the elected officials and John Doe. In one excerpt, from a December 2021 meeting in Reed’s office, the alderman told John Doe he was hoping to run a “unified campaign� for mayor that required $1 million in campaign money. He asked John Doe to donate $20,000.

John Doe: "I brought cash with me. What would work?"

Reed: "If you can do five today, that would be a huge help."

John Doe: "I got you, I got you. But I was really trying to get with, you know, I’ve got somebody who was working the tax abatement named (ZW).�

Later, Reed wrote a schedule for introduction and passage of the tax abatement board bill, gave it to John Doe and accepted from John Doe $4,000, the indictment says.

Reed: "Thanks, man."

John Doe: "Any time, my brother. I appreciate you a lot, because you, know, you helped me big time."

A jolt to St. Louis politics

The charges have upended the city’s political landscape. Reed and Boyd have been key players on the Board of Aldermen for more than 15 years. Reed has been one of the most powerful officials in St. Louis government, with large sway over bills and the city’s finances.

Boyd announced on Friday that he would resign. His position will be filled in a special election, which has not yet been scheduled.

Reed said last week he intended to stay in office, but according to another alderman, Reed may take an extended leave of absence from his board duties.