Former President of Madison District Public Schools Board of Education Albert Morrison, 62, was sentenced to 45 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to accepting bribes for a local contractor and tax evasion.
The 62-year-old was sentenced after pleading guilty to commit federal program bribery from 2014 through 2018 and tax evasion. Morrison was elected president of the Madison District Public Schools Board of Education from 2012 through 2018.
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While in the role of president, John David was one of the owners of a building maintenance and reconstruction company, an emergency restoration that was awarded over $3.1 million in maintenance and construction projects in the Madison District Public Schools.
David, who was a long-time friend of Morrison, paid the 62-year-old more than $561,000 to secure the work for the Madison District. Court documents indicated that Morrison spent the money from David on personal luxuries such as vacations in Florida and a boat slip.
The 62-year-old denied having any financial ties to David or Emergency Restoration when publicly confronted at a Madison District school board meeting to keep payments secret from the school board and the community.
Morrison also failed to disclose the payments he received from David to Michigan auditors. He also did not declare David’s payment as income to the IRS in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2107, or 2018, which helped him avoid paying $118,200 in taxes.
“Today’s sentence underscores our continued insistence that our trusted public officials hold themselves to the highest standards of integrity and honesty,” said United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. “It sends a clear message that when public officials break that trust, they will be held accountable. This sentence ensures that school officials will put the interests of our children first and that those who accept bribes and evade paying taxes will answer for their crimes.”
“Today’s sentence sends a clear message that financial fraud by our public officials will not be tolerated, especially when it’s at the expense of the children in our communities,” said Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Charles Miller, Detroit Field Office. “IRS-CI will continue to work with our federal and local partners to safeguard the financial future of our communities and our nation’s tax system.”
“Mr. Morrison abused his position of trust for personal gain, and with today’s action, will now be held accountable for cheating those he promised to serve – Madison’s school children and their families,” said John Woolley, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General Midwestern Regional Office. “The OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who misappropriate education funds for their own selfish purposes. Our nation’s students and taxpayers deserve nothing less.”