Cuyahoga Land Bank Staffer Indicted For Accepting Bribes

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OH — A Cuyahoga County Land Bank employee has been charged with seeking out and accepting bribes to help a demolition company get contracts. The man reportedly had contractors work, for free, on his home in Cleveland Heights.

Kenneth Tyson, 48, has been indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and honest services fraud, three counts of honest services wire fraud, and one count of bribery. He was a property specialist for the Cuyahoga County Land Reutilization Corporation (aka the County Land Bank).

“This defendant used his position to enrich himself with free home repairs when he was supposed to be helping rid our community of blight,” said U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman. “We remain committed to stamping out public corruption in all its forms.”

Tyson was the liaison with East Cleveland on land acquisition and demolition projects. He was responsible for vetting prospective contractors, who were applying to be placed on the Land Bank's list of qualified demolition companies, the indictment against him said. One of the companies looking to be placed on the list was Residential Commercial Industrial (RCI) Service. A person known as M.R., in the indictment, ran RCI.

The chief of staff in the city of East Cleveland was a person identified only as M.S. Tyson allegedly conspired with both M.S. and M.R. for five years, from 2013 to 2018. Tyson would solicit M.R. for free contractor and repair service to his Castleton Road in Cleveland Heights. In exchange, Tyson would help RCI land on the Land Bank's qualified demolition contractor list. He would also invite them to bid on Land Bank demolition jobs, the indictment said.

In October 2013, M.R. was billed about $2,565 for plumbing work done at Tyson's home. That same month, M.R. paid someone about $1,000 to cut down a tree on the property, the indictment said.

M.S. then directed an East Cleveland employee to send documents and pictures to the Land Bank, confirming that RCI had previously completed demolition work in East Cleveland.

In November 2013, RCI was added to the Land Bank's system as a demolition contractor. Five days after being added to the list, RCI was asked to bid on three Land Bank jobs at various properties.

“Our tax-paying citizens are entitled to decisions based on the best interests of the public, not the best interests of corrupt public officials and bribe-paying contractors,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen D. Anthony said. “The FBI will continue to hold those that violate the public trust accountable in a court of law.”

Between January and March 2014, the Land Bank sent three checks for about $32,355 to RCI for completing jobs. In July 2014, RCI paid about $3,200 for concrete work done at Tyson's property, the indictment said.

“The charges disclosed today prove our continuing resolve to root out fraud and corruption in all forms, especially when the programs involved should have been used to help our neediest families,” said HUD-OIG Special Agent in Charge Brad Geary. “It is our continuing core mission to work with our Federal law enforcement partners and the United States Attorney’s Office to protect the integrity of our housing programs and to take strong action against those who seek to personally benefit from taxpayer-funded grants.”

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