Two Charged in Cuyahoga County Public Corruption Investigation
| U.S. Attorney’s Office April 27, 2011 |
A federal grand jury indicted George A. Phillips, now known as George Phillips-Olivier, executive director of the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA), and Michael McMichael in connection with the Cuyahoga County public corruption investigation, Sharon L. Long, Deputy Chief, Criminal Division in the Northern District of Ohio; Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the Cleveland Division of the FBI; Breck Nowlin, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Cleveland Office of Inspector General; and Jose A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, announced today.
Phillips, 53, lives in Cleveland and McMichael, also 53, lives in Concord, Ohio, according to court documents.
The indictment charges Phillips and McMichael with one count each of conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, Hobbs Act, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and honest services wire fraud in connection with the Cuyahoga County public corruption investigation. In addition, Phillips is charged with bribery concerning programs receiving federalf unds and making false statements to law enforcement.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s
role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy L. Kelley and Assistant U.S. Attorney Henry F. DeBaggis following investigation by the Cleveland office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service. The investigation is ongoing.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.