Former Madison Heights school board president charged with taking bribes

The ongoing FBI investigation into Metro Detroit community corruption has snagged a former school district formal accused of accepting bribes.

Albert Morrison was school board president of Madison District Public Schools in Madison Heights. An indictment says he and a longtime good friend have been co-conspirators in a pay-to-participate in plan involving university restore contracts.

It alleges that Morrison corruptly steered contracts to his friend’s organization, designating desired repairs as emergencies to bypass competitive bidding. The close friend got far more than $3 million in contracts concerning 2014 and 2018, and Morrison allegedly obtained additional than $500,000 in kickbacks paid to a consulting corporation he owned.

Prosecutors say Morrison expended the funds on “personal luxuries,” these kinds of as Florida holidays and a boat slip. He also publicly denied any personal relationship to the contractor’s company when confronted about it during a 2017 college board meeting. Morrison served as board president until December 2018.

In addition to conspiracy to commit bribery, Morrison also faces tax evasion and other prices, as does the contractor. Morrison’s courtroom-appointed attorney could not be achieved for comment.

The FBI’s investigation into corruption in southeast Michigan has netted more than 100 general public officers billed with wrongdoing. Morrison is the initially faculty formal to deal with fees stemming from that investigation.