Real estate developer sentenced for bribing former Taylor mayor in property scheme

TAYLOR, Mich. – A real estate developer will spend more than a year behind bars for bribing the former mayor of Taylor.

Court documents claim Shady Awad, a 44-year-old real estate developer from Allen Park, consistently bribed Sollars from 2016-18 with cash, improvements to Sollars’ home and lake house, appliances and more. He also reportedly charged $19,000 to his credit card, converted the charges to cash and gave it to Sollars.

Former Taylor Mayor Rick Sollars was sentenced to 71 months in prison for his role in the scheme.

Sollars pleaded guilty in 2023 to accepting bribes in the form of home improvements totaling more than $85,000.

The bribes were in exchange for Sollars to recommend to Taylor City Council that Awad’s company be awarded the majority of tax-foreclosed properties through the Right of First Refusal program. The program was designed to allow Taylor to acquire tax-foreclosed properties from Wayne County for redevelopment.

Awad was sentenced to one year and one day behind bars.