Patrick Wimberly, the former mayor of Inkster, Michigan, pleaded guilty Wednesday to accepting $50,000 in a bribery scheme.
Wimberly, who lost his bid for reelection in 2023 following his indictment, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to receiving $50,000 in cash payments from an individual seeking to purchase city-owned land in Inkster.
Wimberly, 50, served as the mayor of Inkster from 2019 through 2023.
According to federal prosecutors, Wimberly’s corrupt dealings included accepting payments in a clandestine manner, with one instance involving a $10,000 handoff via the center console of his car. The FBI intervened before the property was officially transferred.
The government said Wimberly’s goal was to collect $100,000.
U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison condemned Wimberly’s actions in a press release: “Public officials who act in their own best interests, motivated by greed, betray the trust of their communities and the general public.”
In October 2023, Wimberly publicly acknowledged his wrongdoing in a video statement.
“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 admitted. Despite his legal troubles, he vowed to “stand strong.”
Inkster, a small city with a population of about 25,000 near Detroit, now faces the fallout of Wimberly’s actions as he awaits sentencing.
“Investigating public corruption is a primary concern and priority of the FBI in Michigan,” Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan, said in a press release. “The former City of Inkster mayor, Patrick Wimberly’s guilty plea is a step forward in reminding public officials that they will be held accountable for their actions and should always operate with the highest level of integrity.
“Members of the FBI’s Detroit Area Corruption Task Force will continue to investigate any allegations of criminal misconduct from our public officials, in an effort to maintain the public’s trust.”
The FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C. Patrick Wimberly, the former mayor of Inkster, Michigan, pleaded guilty Wednesday to accepting $50,000 in a bribery scheme.
J. David Ake/Getty Images
Wimberly is only the latest public official tied to corruption and bribery charges. Most notably, former New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez was convicted on federal corruption charges.
The former senator was convicted in a federal corruption trial in July. He was accused of using his power and influence to unlawfully obtain lavish gifts from New Jersey businessmen, such as cash, gold bars, a Mercedes-Benz convertible, furniture and payments on a home mortgage.
The trial lasted nine weeks, and the jury deliberated for three days.
Menendez, a Democrat who resigned from the Senate in August, has maintained his innocence. His legal team filed a motion to overturn the convictions and a motion for a new trial.
Nadine Menendez, Robert Menendez’s wife, was also charged in the alleged criminal scheme. According to prosecutors, the alleged corruption began in 2018, around the time the couple started dating.
Robert Menendez’s lawyers claimed he was unaware of his wife’s dealings with the businessmen involved in the alleged scheme.
The former senator was up for reelection in 2024 and originally filed to run as an independent in June before ending his candidacy in August following his conviction. Several lawmakers had also called on Menendez to resign.
This article includes reporting from the Associated Press.
