Former Cleveland City Councilmember Basheer Jones was sentenced to 28 months in prison after pleading guilty to federal charges of fraud while he held public office.
The sentence was handed down Tuesday in federal court in Cleveland. Jones was also sentenced to three years probation. He will self-report to prison at a later date.
Jones argued for probation, instead of the government's recommended sentencing range of 33-to-41 months. He gathered letters of support from several community members, including former Rep. Marcia Fudge, who cited his years of public service as a community activist and council member.
"Ultimately, he sold his office and his integrity," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot Morrison during the sentencing hearing. "Ultimately, he sold out the people of Cleveland."
Jones was accused in November of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit honest service mail fraud.
Prosecutors said 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.
Prosecutors argued 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.
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.
"Probation should be enough," said Jones' attorney, Fernando Mack, citing Jones's clean criminal record and the typical sentence of probation for theft in state court for defendants without criminal records. "Otherwise, the message is if you're a politician, if you're in a position of trust, you have to go to prison."
District Court Judge J. Philip Calabrese said that's the message he's trying to send.
"Basheer Jones betrayed the trust residents and institutions in his ward placed in him," said Calabrese. "His conduct follows a history of public corruption in the area, which did not deter him."
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.
Gabriel Kramer contributed to this report.
