EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio — East Cleveland Mayor Brandon and former City Councilman Ernest Smith were indicted Thursday by a Cuyahoga County grand jury on multiple charges.
According to the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office, King is charged with the following:
- Two counts of Theft in Office (F4)
- Four counts of Having an Unlawful Interest in a Public Contract (F4 x 2, M1 x 2)
- Four counts of Representation by Public Official or Employee (M1)
- One count of Filing a False Disclosure Statement (M1)
- One count of Soliciting Improper Compensation (M1)
Investigators say that over five years, King authorized a city contract and payments to a business owned by the mayor and his family. Prosecutors say King approved leasing office space for the city's Domestic Violence Department from that family business. Investigators said that that lease was more than $14,000 a year. Additionally, prosecutors say the city purchased nearly $6,000 in cleaning supplies from a company owned by the mayor and his family.
"This council for the last two years has been going to the authorities, gathering information and making sure that the appropriate authorities knew what was taking place here to protect the residents," said Clerk of East Cleveland City Council Eric J. Brewer.
King, who has served as East Cleveland's mayor since 2016, was also accused of improperly providing Smith with a city vehicle and gas cards.
Earlier this year, Smith told News 5 Investigators that the vehicle was only used for city business.
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Smith was also indicted on the following charges:
- One count of Theft in Office (F4)
- Two counts of Theft (F5)
- One count of Soliciting Improper Compensation (M1)
- One count of Misuse of Credit Cards (M1)
If convicted of the charges, King would be disqualified from holding any public office for seven years.
A spokesperson for the prosecutor's office said a request would be sent to the Ohio Supreme Court asking King to be suspended from his job as mayor until the case is adjudicated.
"Half of us are sad, half of us are kind of glad, but you know we need somebody to pull both teams together, let's say bygones be bygones, let's look forward," said Ward 3 East Cleveland City Councilman Lateek Shabazz.
Brewer sent an email to residents Friday explaining the indictment, "the government is not folding, and there is a plan in place to make sure the government continues when he leaves. The plan is to go in and bring compliance back," said Brewer.
"Keep the faith, people of East Cleveland. Things will be better, because the people are calling for it to be better," said Shabazz.
Community Reaction
East Cleveland community leaders and residents said they want better for their city.
“I think that the city has been struggling and suffering for far too long. I think that it’s time to breathe,” said East Cleveland City Council President Twon Billings.
That’s why they told News 5 they’re glad a Cuyahoga County Grand Jury indicted Mayor Brandon King on multiple charges.
“Some new leadership is for sure in order,” said East Cleveland resident Stacey White. “Excited for the opportunity to experience some justice.”
Grateful is the word White used to describe her reaction when News 5 asked her about East Cleveland Mayor Brandon King’s 16-count indictment.
Meanwhile, others like East Cleveland City Council President Twon Billings said he can see why there’s been chaos in East Cleveland after reading the charges from the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office on Thursday.
“I believe that he was pretty much positioning us up to get in trouble, to bankrupt the city,” Billings said.
Following these charges, News 5 tried speaking to King, but the mayor did not respond back to our request after multiple tries.
“The city’s got enough problems as it is without worrying about someone that’s sitting on criminal indictment, continuing to try to operate as if nothing’s going on,” said East Cleveland City Council Attorney Ken Myers.
King and Smith are scheduled to be in court for arraignments on Oct. 25.
