Related: Charlotte Mayor is Scum
"Former N.C. mayor sentenced for taking bribes" October 15, 2014
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The former mayor of North Carolina’s largest city was sentenced Tuesday to almost four years in prison for taking bribes from undercover federal agents he thought were developers seeking to fast-track projects.
Patrick Cannon had resigned in the midst of the case that stunned Charlotte residents who had once elected him as their youngest councilman. US District Judge Frank Whitney, in a courtroom just blocks from Cannon’s old office, sentenced the 47-year-old to 44 months. He also fined Cannon $10,000.
‘‘You have seriously tarnished the city’s image,’’ Whitney said, adding ‘‘this court must send a message that public corruption is unacceptable and will be severely punished.’’
Cannon apologized for his wrongdoing.
‘‘I have failed as a father, I have failed as a husband, I failed as a servant leader, and I failed as a citizen,’’ Cannon told the judge before sentencing.
Yeah, I feel sorry for you.
He said he knows how much he has hurt his family and community, which is why he decided to cooperate from the beginning.
As he walked out of the courthouse, he said, ‘‘Hopefully, the community will be forgiving.’’
Maybe they will be; I'm not.
In a deal with prosecutors, Cannon pleaded guilty in June to one count of honest services wire fraud. Prosecutors say Cannon accepted nearly $50,000 in bribes between January 2013, when he was a city councilor, and February 2014 — three months after he was elected mayor.
Cannon was arrested March 26 and resigned the same day.
He was elected to the City Council in 1993 at 26, becoming the youngest member in Charlotte history.
‘‘I think the sentence is a very strong sentence that will send a message of deterrence,’’ US Attorney Anne Tompkins said outside the courthouse.
His arrest shocked many who had worked with him and rocked a city that has prided itself on clean government.
According to the criminal complaint, Cannon was recorded accepting more than $48,000 in cash, airline tickets, a hotel room, and the use of a luxury apartment from FBI agents posing as real estate developers who wanted expedited permitting and zoning approvals. Cannon also was accused of soliciting up to $1 million in additional bribes from the undercover agents.
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