INKSTER, Mich. (WXYZ) — Incumbent Inkster Mayor Patrick Wimberly lost his re-election bid Tuesday night to former Inkster Mayor Byron Nolen.
The loss comes on the heals of an October 3 federal indictment on a bribery charge and if convicted, Wimberly could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Wimberly addressed his Oct. 3 federal indictment from the United States Attorney's Office in a Facebook Live he posted on Oct. 11.
“Did I put myself in a situation that I should’ve never been involved with? Yes, I did. I take full responsibility for that," Wimberly said in the video. "I’m going to have to go through the process, but know that I’m standing here and I’m standing strong.”
As laid out by the U.S. Attorneys' Office, Wimberly demanded cash payments to facilitate the sale of property owned by the city. An outside party then provided Wimberly with monthly cash bribes to secure the purchase of the property of $50,000.
Wimberly is currently out on a $10,000 bond. He announced that despite his legal troubles, he would not be dropping out of the race.
“If the allegations are true, you’re talking about someone who had public trust and they violated that trust," Nolen said about Wimberly. "You can forgive someone, but you don’t necessarily have to put them in the same position to do it again.”
Nolen and Wimberly went head to head in 2019 as Nolen was seeking re-election. Nolen lost that year but says he wants to pick up where he left off.
"There’s a lot of unfinished business," he said.
Meanwhile, some Inkster voters say they were swayed by the federal charge when voting Tuesday. Others say it didn't falter their trust in the current mayor.
“That’s not really something I want going on in my city because that directly affects me," Inkster voter Kristen Sykes said.
Another voter said, “That charge doesn’t matter to me."
Nolen will be sworn in as Inkster's newest mayor in January.
