ST. LOUIS — Former ºüÀêÊÓƵ Alderman John Collins-Muhammad pleaded guilty Tuesday in a federal bribery case against him and two other ex-city officials.
Collins-Muhammad, 31, who represented a ward on the city’s north side, admitted charges of theft or bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, racketeering and wire fraud.
Collins-Muhammad’s plea agreement, if accepted by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark, puts his potential prison term between three and four years. The agreement also says he reserves the right to argue for a lesser term of 30 to 37 months. He will be required to pay restitution, though an amount has not been set. The judge accepted the pleas but has discretion about whether to accept the plea deal.
Collins-Muhammad is set to remain free on pretrial release until his sentencing on Dec. 6.
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After Tuesday’s hearing, Collins-Muhammad, his wife, and one of his lawyers made no statements as they left the Thomas F. Eagleton federal courthouse in downtown ºüÀêÊÓƵ and stepped into waiting vehicles. Another of his lawyers had said before the hearing that Collins-Muhammad planned to address the media, but the lawyer said after the hearing that his client was “rattled†after the judge cautioned him about making public statements.
Collins-Muhammad is the first of three ex-aldermen to plead guilty after being indicted by a grand jury in June on charges of accepting cash bribes from a local businessman in exchange for tax breaks.
Former ºüÀêÊÓƵ Aldermanic Board President Lewis Reed, 59, and former Alderman Jeffrey Boyd, 58, are expected to plead guilty Friday.
Collins-Muhammad resigned his seat in May, citing “mistakes.†Last month, he announced he’d reached a plea agreement with prosecutors.
The indictments stemmed from a 2½-year investigation by the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office involving surveillance, hundreds of recorded phone calls and meetings, and thousands of text messages and emails, authorities said.
On Tuesday, Collins-Muhammad admitted to the indictment as charged, which accused him of 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. It said he sponsored bills to provide property tax abatement for a proposed gas station on Von Phul Street, a measure the gas station’s owner estimated could save him $20,000 to $30,000 per year. Collins-Muhammad began working with the business owner on the abatement bill in January 2020, when he accepted an initial $2,500 bribe.
“You’re saving me plenty of money,†the business owner said at the time.
“That’s our job,†Collins-Muhammad replied.
The business owner is referred to as “John Doe†in the indictment. But the properties correspond to sites owned by Mohammed Almuttan that were the subject of federal subpoenas sent to the city’s development arm. Almuttan co-owns and operates several gas stations and convenience stores in north ºüÀêÊÓƵ and north ºüÀêÊÓƵ County.
According to the indictment and plea agreement, Collins-Muhammad claimed he could obtain government contracts for Doe’s trucking company, and that he would bring an unnamed public official to a business meeting. Collins also encouraged John Doe to give the unnamed public official a $10,000 cash bribe. The unnamed public official told Collins-Muhammad to have Doe write two $5,000 checks to the official’s political action committee, and the two checks were never cashed.
Collins-Muhammad admitted accepting $3,000 from Doe after setting up a meeting with the unidentified public official who could steer business to the trucking firm. Collins-Muhammad later asked for an additional $2,500 on behalf of the unnamed official but used it to buy a 2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer SUV for himself.
Reed resigned in June, five days after being indicted on corruption charges. He had held that key city post for 15 years. Boyd quit as 22nd Ward alderman in June.
The 21st Ward, which Collins-Muhammad represented after first being elected in 2017 and reelected last year, is centered in the O’Fallon and Penrose neighborhoods north of Natural Bridge Avenue.
Mayor Tishaura O. Jones issued a statement Tuesday saying that “when politicians break the law to serve themselves instead of the people they were elected to serve, everyone loses.†She said Collins-Muhammad’s conduct “embarrassed ºüÀêÊÓƵ and our city government,†adding that the indictment against all three former public officials “have further shaken the faith ºüÀêÊÓƵans have in their government.â€