Charges Against Pat Coyne Go Beyond Bribery

When former Councilman was arrested earlier this month, it was based on an allegation he had taken $20,000 in bribes from developer Dave Terry.

But when formal charges were finally filed Friday, they included other allegations of fraud involving a Krispy Kreme doughnut shop and his former job at the Cuyahoga County Coroner's office.

The Krispy Kreme scam took place this spring, while Coyne was for taking the bribes, according to prosecutors.

Illegal Hiring

At the coroner's office, Coyne and others "abused their official positions by exerting influence over county hiring and personnel decisions in return for private gain," the charge says.

It says Terry gave Coyne $20,000 for positive influence in Terry's Strongsville projects in on Jan. 17, 2008. On Jan 31, 2008, Coyne discussed hiring a job applicant in the coroner's office if another county employee agreed to hire one of Terry's relative.

Coyne intimated that a relative of the applicant "would pay for the job."

Coyne then hired the coroner's office applicant at a salary of about $50,000, expecting Terry's relative to be hired in another office.

Coyne was fired in October from his job as human resources director for the coroner.

Doughnut Shop Fraud

From March to May 2011, Coyne allegedly took $32,000 from an investor for a Krispy Kreme franchise in Brunswick.

The charge says Coyne claimed the free-standing doughnut shop would be built on the site of some batting cages by fall 2011, and that investors would profit by $50,000 or $60,000 a year.

But Krispy Kreme "had no knowledge of the project" and had no intention of building a shop there, the information says.

The investor wrote a check for $12,000 to Coyne in April; about two weeks later, Coyne told the investor he needed $20,000 more.

The checks were deposited in Coyne's personal bank account, the document says.

The Bribery Charge

Coyne resigned from City Council May 6, three days before he was arrested on suspicion of bribery. He was fitted with a GPS ankle monitor and released on $50,000 bond.

He was implicated in the ongoing Cuyahoga County Corruption probe last year after Terry pleaded guilty to bribing a Strongsville councilman.

Prosecutors say Coyne used part of the bribe money to purchase a condo in Marblehead. The condo, valued at $222,000, will be forfeited, the federal charges say.