Charlotte Mayor Patrick Cannon was arrested yesterday (Wednesday, March 26, 2014) on public corruption charges, according to an article by Mark Washburn, Jim Morrill and Michael Gordon of the Charlotte Observer. “The case against the former mayor alleges that in return for money, trips, hotel rooms and access to a luxury SouthPark apartment, Cannon promised to help agents posing as potential commercial investors with zoning, parking and other city-related issues.”
“Authorities said Cannon took bribes from undercover FBI agents five times – the most recent on Feb. 21 when he collected $20,000 in cash in the mayor’s office.”
One of the undercover deals that led to Cannon’s arrest involved a property along Charlotte’s approved streetcar route. Cannon is expected to be indicted next week, and could face a “significant amount of time in prison” if convicted.
