ST. LOUIS — A former ºüÀêÊÓƵ alderman is asking a court to reduce his federal prison sentence for taking bribes from a local businessman thanks to a change in federal sentencing rules.
Jeffrey Boyd, who served a north side ward for 20 years, was sentenced alongside two other former aldermen in December 2022 to three years in prison for bribery and wire fraud. Federal prison officials projected he would be eligible for release on July 1, 2024.
But last month, a federal commission that calculates sentencing ranges based on factors such as the nature of the crime and a person’s criminal history recommended a reduction for inmates like Boyd.
The reduction would mean that Boyd’s sentencing range would decrease from a recommended 30-37 months to 24-30 months, allowing him to be released as early as Feb. 1, 2024.
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“Mr. Boyd has done excellently while serving his sentence in BOP,†his attorney, Andrea Smith, wrote in a filing Monday. He has taken classes in anatomy, piano, finance, economics and food handling and is currently participating in a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program.
Boyd said in court documents that his crimes came after he had fallen into a crippling alcohol addiction, and he was approached by the co-owner of several gas stations in north ºüÀêÊÓƵ and north ºüÀêÊÓƵ County.
Boyd helped the business owner, Mohammed Almuttan, purchase a commercial property in Boyd’s ward from a city authority that owns thousands of vacant lots and abandoned buildings for much less than it was worth. Almuttan later returned it to the city.
Boyd was also indicted in a separate wire fraud case in which he sought $22,000 from an insurance company for damaged vehicles he lied about owning.
Boyd was charged alongside former Aldermanic President Lewis Reed and ex-Alderman John Collins-Muhammad, both of whom were sentenced to three years and nine months. They may also be eligible for a sentencing reduction.
A judge will determine whether to reduce Boyd’s sentence at a later date.
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that Reed and Collins-Muahammad may be eligible for a sentencing reduction.