Michael Sanders, a 51-year-old former elected county executive for Jackson County, Missouri, has been sentenced to 27 months in prison for his role in a scheme to steal campaign contributions. His chief of staff, Calvin Williford, 60, of St. Joseph, Missouri, received a six-month prison sentence.
According to admissions made in connection with their pleas, Sanders was the elected County Executive for Jackson County from January 2007 until December 2015. Williford was a senior staff member for Sanders, and then later chief of staff, in the Office of the County Executive from 2007 to December 2015.
Sanders and Williford defrauded political committees with which Sanders was affiliated by converting campaign contributions for their personal use. They misappropriated the money by directing the political committees to issue checks to certain individuals who performed little or no campaign-related work. Instead, the individuals cashed the checks and then returned a portion of the money to Sanders or Williford, who used the cash at times to pay for personal expenses.
U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark of the Western District of Missouri sentenced Sanders on Wednesday to serve 27 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $40,000 in forfeiture. Williford was sentenced today to serve six months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $36,000 in forfeiture.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Kansas City Division. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Lauren Bell and Edward P. Sullivan of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section.
Sanders and Williford each pleaded guilty to a one-count information charging them with conspiracy to commit wire fraud on January 26.
The scheme, which occurred between 2007 and 2015, resulted in significant financial losses for the political committees involved. The exact amount of the losses is not specified in the court documents.
As a result of their crimes, Sanders and Williford will have to pay significant fines and serve time in prison. Their sentences serve as a reminder that public officials will be held accountable for their actions and that the rule of law will be upheld.
Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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