Who knew there were vampires and knights in the old West?
It was his insatiable bid to build a “Wild West” museum in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania that did former Mayor Stephen Reed in.
Reed, a Democrat – who served from 1981 to 2010 – is accused of using public money to purchase oddities and artifacts to fill what he hoped would become a tourist attraction.
All told, the former mayor faces 499 counts of corruption and theft, including the following:
- 2 counts of corrupt organizations (F-1).
- 2 counts of dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities (F-1).
- 2 counts of theft by deception (F-1).
- 20 counts of theft by receiving stolen property (F-2).
- 20 counts of theft by unlawful taking or disposition (F-2).
- 1 count of theft by deception (F-2).
- 7 counts of bribery in official and political matters (F-3).
- 29 counts of theft by receiving stolen property (F-3).
- 29 counts of theft by unlawful taking or disposition (F-3).
- 3 counts of theft of services (F-3).
- 1 count of theft by deception (F-3).
- 110 counts of theft by receiving stolen property (M-1).
- 110 counts of theft by unlawful taking or disposition (M-1).
- 158 counts of misapplication of entrusted property and property of government or financial institutions (M-2).
- 1 count of deceptive business practices (M-2).
- 3 counts of criminal solicitation (M-2).
- 1 count of tampering with or fabricating physical evidence (M-2).
“This is one of the most disturbing cases of public corruption this office has investigated,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane said when announcing the charges, WFMZ reports.
“Mayor Reed used taxpayer money to further his own interests. His conduct is at the root of the fiscal issues that continue to plague the city of Harrisburg today.”
Kane alleges Reed would take cross-country trips to purchase artifacts for the Harrisburg museum, including a life-sized sarcophagus, a full suit of armor and a “vampire hunting kit.”
“In order for the City of Harrisburg to continue its financial recovery, it is imperative that its citizens have a clear picture of the past,” Kane says of the mayor who presided over years of Harrisburg’s “near financial collapse.”
The case has been a long time in the making.
To recoup losses, the city sold many of the artifacts in 2013, reaping $2.7 million, the news station reported then.
The mayor allegedly oversaw the accumulation of a 10,000 piece collection, totaling $8.3 million in tax dollars being spent.
When asked about the charges, Reed said he was “bewildered.”
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