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EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">Supervisor of Michigan Town Sentenced to Three
Years in Prison
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Last week, William Morgan, the former supervisor of Royal
Oak Township, a suburb of Detroit, was sentenced in federal court to three
years in prison. Mr. Morgan had previously entered a guilty plea to charges
that he conspired to defraud the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD), violate the Clean Air Act's asbestos requirements, and commit
bribery. Asbestos is a mineral fiber that has been used commonly in a variety
of building construction materials. When asbestos-containing materials are
damaged or disturbed by repair, remodeling or demolition activities,
microscopic fibers become airborne and can be inhaled into the lungs, where
they can cause serious health problems.
"It is reprehensible that a public official made asbestos abatement
decisions based on a bribe, not on what was needed to protect the health of the
community," said Randall Ashe, special agent in charge of EPA's criminal
enforcement program in Michigan. "The sentence shows that government officials
who attempt to line their pockets rather than carry out their responsibilities
honestly will be prosecuted to the full extent to the law."
"Any public official, in city or suburb, who works to enrich himself at the
expense of the public will be detected and prosecuted," U.S. Attorney Barbara
L. McQuade said. "It is particularly disturbing when an official not only
takes bribes but also endangers community health and the environment by
allowing the bribes to influence abatement decisions."
Morgan's criminal conduct involved the awarding of a contract and distribution
of federal funds that were intended to be used by communities for the
improvement of blighted areas by removing dilapidated buildings. The funding
was received through HUD's Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP). Morgan, in
addition to being Township supervisor, was also Royal Oak's coordinator for
NSP.
Prior to the awarding of the contract, Morgan had received a $10,000 bribe from
Sureguard/PBM, one of the companies that submitted a bid for the demolition and
asbestos removal of an abandoned theater on Eight Mile road. In return for the
bribe, Morgan attempted to steer the contract to Sureguard/PBM. Despite
Morgan's efforts, Royal Oak's Board of Supervisors awarded the contract to
another company, which had submitted a lower bid.
During the demolition process, Morgan asked for and received cash payments of $500
and $1,000 from the owner of the company that had won the contract. Morgan
received these payments under the belief that they were in return for his
approval of a change order covering the asbestos abatement that fraudulently
inflated the cost of the work.
One of Morgan's co-conspirators, Terrance Parker, received a sentence of 21
months. Two other co-conspirators, Kendrick Covington and Marcus Brown have yet
to be sentenced.
The case was investigated by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI), HUD's Office of the Inspector General and EPA's Criminal Investigation
Division.
More information about EPA's criminal enforcement program: http://www.epa.gov/oecaerth/criminal/index.html .