Former Detroit-area mayor pleads guilty in scheme to cash in on land deal

INKSTER, Mich. (AP) — The former mayor of a Detroit-area community who lost reelection in 2023 after being charged with bribery pleaded guilty Wednesday to accepting $50,000 in a corrupt land deal.

Patrick Wimberly regularly received payments from someone who wanted to buy a parcel owned by the city of Inkster. In one exchange, he opened the center console of his car for a $10,000 drop-off, investigators said.

The government said Wimberly’s goal was to collect a total of $100,000. The FBI stepped in before the property was transferred.

“Public officials who act in their own best interests, motivated by greed, betray the trust of their communities and the general public,” U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison said.

Wimberly lost reelection last year, a month after he was indicted by a grand jury. Inkster, population 25,000, is near Detroit.

After being charged, Wimberly acknowledged last October that he was in trouble.

“Did I put myself in a situation that I should’ve never been involved with? Yes, I did. I take full responsibility for that,” he said in a video. “I’m going to have to go through the process, but know that I’m standing here and I’m standing strong.”