ST. LOUIS — Former St. Louis Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed will be in court Friday to change his plea in connection with the federal bribery charges he is facing.
Reed had previously pleaded not guilty to the two bribery-related charges filed by federal prosecutors. A pretrial hearing was scheduled in federal court for Tuesday, but on Monday, the court canceled that hearing and replaced it with a change-of-plea hearing on Friday.
The 66-page indictment released in June accused Reed, Housing and Urban Development Zoning Committee Chairman Jeffrey Boyd and former Alderman John Collins-Muhammad of accepting cash payments and other gifts in exchange for proposed tax breaks and development project approvals in the city's north side.
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All three had pleaded not guilty, but all three now have change-of-plea hearings scheduled this week. Collins-Muhammad's hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, and Boyd and Reed both have hearings set for Friday.
If convicted of the main indictment, Reed’s and Boyd’s charges carry respective maximum penalties of 10 years and five years in prison, as well as a $250,000 fine, the attorney's office said. Collins-Muhammad's wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and his bribery charges carry a 10-year and 5-year maximum, respectively. Boyd's additional wire fraud charges carry maximum penalties of 20 years and a $250,000 fine.
No details about possible plea deals have been released.