Former Engineer for Wyandotte Unified Government Indicted on Federal Bribery Charge

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal indictment was unsealed today charging a former staff engineer for the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kan., with taking bribes, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Willie D. Jones, 58, Kansas City, Kan., is charged with three counts of accepting bribes and five counts of money laundering.

The indictment alleged Jones accepted three bribes -- $6,740, $5,530 and $5,100 – from an individual who owned a company that obtained contracts to do street repairs for the Unified Government. It is alleged Jones routed the bribe money through his bank account and an account belonging to Paradise Missionary Baptist Church of Kansas City, where Jones was a minister.

If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each bribery count, and up to 20 years and a fine up to$250,000 on each money laundering count. The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tris Hunt is prosecuting.

In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.