Former Charlotte Mayor Patrick Cannon pleaded guilty Tuesday morning to a federal public corruption charge, capping a four-year investigation in which he took bribes in exchange for the promise of helping developers.
He entered a guilty plea to one count of honest services wire fraud, a charge commonly used in cases where a public official takes kickbacks or bribes.
As he walked into the courthouse Tuesday morning, Cannon declined to comment to a scrum of reporters. He tripped and fell as he walked through the crowd of television cameras and reporters wielding microphones.
Cannon will be sentenced at a separate hearing in the coming months. The charge carries up to a 20-year prison sentence and a $250,000 fine.
Dressed in a conservative business suit, Cannon appeared in court flanked by his two attorneys.
Ely Portillo, Elizabeth Leland and Mike Gordon
Charlotte Observer