Former Cleveland City Councilmember Basheer Jones pleaded guilty Thursday to federal charges of fraud while he held public office, benefiting from money paid by local nonprofits.
Prosecutors alleged Jones "deceptively advised nonprofits to provide funding to move community projects forward or to hire a purported 'consultant,' with the full knowledge that the funds would flow back to himself," according to a statement issued by the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
Jones represented Cleveland's Ward 7 on the city's East Side from 2018 through 2021 when he unsuccessfully ran for mayor.
The criminal activity occurred from December 2018 to June 2021, according to prosecutors.
Jones was accused in November of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit honest service mail fraud.
Prosecutors said Jones conspired with his romantic partner to bilk nonprofits out of money with a number of schemes. One included hiring his romantic partner as a consultant. In another, Jones pushed for legislation to fund nonprofits so they could purchase and renovate distressed housing, while his romantic partner was the owner of the property, according to prosecutors.
Ideastream Public Media reported in 2022 that the Famicos Foundation, a nonprofit community development corporation that works in Cleveland's Hough and Glenville neighborhoods, received a subpoena seeking documents related to its work in Ward 7. The city also was subpoenaed for information related to Famicos Foundation and Lexington Bell Community Center.
The FBI Cleveland Division, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of the Inspector General, and the IRS – Criminal Investigation unit investigated the case.
Mike McIntyre contributed to this report.
