CLEVELAND — A former Cleveland city councilman is headed to federal prison for crimes investigators say he committed while in office.
Judge J. Philip Calabrese sentenced Basheer Jones, who previously served as Cleveland's Ward 7 councilman, to 28 months behind bars and ordered him to repay more than $100,000 to two nonprofits he's accused of defrauding.
Jones's attorney called what happened just a sliver of the former councilman's life, saying the good outweighs the bad.
Jones walked into court Tuesday hoping for leniency. His attorney asked that his client be given probation.
In December, Jones pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud.
Investigators said that while serving as a city councilman, Jones devised schemes, tricking two nonprofits into paying more than $140,000 for what they thought were projects to help the community.
Prosecutors said the money went to Jones, his girlfriend and other unnamed associates.
In court, Jones told the judge that he takes full accountability for his actions. He apologized to the victims, his family and the community.
Prosecutors said that once Jones took office in 2017, he used his position to benefit himself over his constituents. In one case, Jones is accused of soliciting $50,000 for a backpack giveaway for kids. But investigators say that the giveaway never happened and he split the money with others, including his girlfriend; she also faces charges in the case.
In a courtroom packed with supporters for Jones, the judge said not even the city's history of political corruption scandals was enough to deter the former councilman.
The judge is allowing Jones to report to prison at a date that has yet to be determined. Jones's girlfriend is scheduled to appear in court on similar charges later this month.
Outside the courtroom, I asked Jones what message he had for the community.
"God is control of all. God is always in control," he replied.
I asked him, "What do you say to the people who trusted you, voted for you?"
"God is in control. God is in control," Jones said.
