The mayor of suburban Crestwood has been indicted for allegedly accepting bribes as part of a scheme involving a red-light camera company, according to a news release from federal prosecutors.
Mayor Louis Presta, 69, has been charged charged with three counts of using a facility in interstate commerce in aid of bribery and official misconduct, two counts of willfully filing a false income tax return, one count of willfully failing to file an income tax return, and one count of making false statements to the FBI and IRS, the news release stated.
According to the indictment, the red-light camera company provided camera services to Crestwood that enabled the municipality to issue tickets to motorists. During that time, Presta asked for and accepted benefits from representatives of the company, the indictment states.
His arriagnment had not been scheduled as of Friday afternoon.
Presta was also charged with making false statements for denying that he received gifts, cash and campaign contributions from the red-light camera company during a Sept. 2019 interview with the FBI and IRS.
The mayor was also recorded accepting an envelope containing $5,000 in cash from a company representative, however he falsely stated there was no money in the envelope, federal prosecutors said.
Presta is also accused of willfully filing a false income tax return for the years 2015 and 2018, and willfully failing to file an income tax return for the year 2014.
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The bribery and false statement counts are each punishable by up to five years in prison, the news release added. Filing a false tax return is punishable by up to three years, while failing to file a tax return carries a maximum sentence of one year.
