Former City of Taylor Official Sentenced to 18 Months for Bribery and Embezzlement in Community Housing Scheme

Jeffrey Baum, a former employee for the City of Taylor, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for his role in a bribery conspiracy that compromised the integrity of a community housing program. Baum, 49, of Allen Park, held the position of Community Development Manager when he conspired to accept bribes, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. The announcement of Baum’s sentencing was made by U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison and FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson.

The case involves the Right of First Refusal program (ROFR), started in 2015, where the City of Taylor acquired tax-delinquent properties for development. Baum, who oversaw the program, was found to have taken bribes, including cash from developers Shady Awad and Hadir Altoon, who wanted to buy properties in the program. The investigation also revealed that Baum illegally transferred nine ROFR properties without city council approval under the direction of then-Mayor Richard Sollars.

Baum’s criminal activities also included his role as treasurer for Sollars’s campaign fund, where he helped embezzle tens of thousands of dollars. Baum admitted to giving Sollars pre-signed, blank campaign checks, which were used for a fake catering scheme. He also helped create false invoices for nonexistent services. Additionally, Baum accepted large cash donations for the campaign and gave them directly to Sollars, keeping between $10,000 and $20,000 for himself.

U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison criticized Baum’s actions, saying, “As the Manager of Community Development for the City of Taylor, Baum had a duty to represent the best interests of the citizens of Taylor. Instead, he used his position of trust and authority to extort money and other items of value from the contractors he was hired to supervise. Mr. Baum’s conviction and sentence should send a strong message to public employees that placing your own interests above those of the citizens of this district will not be tolerated,” in the U.S. Attorney’s Office release. Baum’s sentencing is meant to deter public corruption and show the consequences of abusing public office for personal gain. The FBI led the investigation, and the prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frances Carlson and Robert Moran.

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