ST. LOUIS — St. Louis Ward 22 Alderman and Housing and Urban Development Zoning Committee Chairman Jeffrey Boyd is resigning from his position on the board after being federally charged with counts of bribery and fraud during his time in office.
Boyd's lawyer and a clerk from the Board of Aldermen confirmed Boyd submitted his resignation.
5 On Your Side obtained his letter written to Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed, which reads:
Mr. President,
Effective immediately with I'm resigning from the Board of Alderman. It has been a great pleasure to serve the residents of the 22nd Ward for over 19 years and I'm proud of the good work we as a community have accomplished. It has also been a pleasure to work with so many aldermen/alderwomen over the years.
Boyd, Reed and former Alderman John Collins-Muhammad are accused of accepting cash payments and other gifts in exchange for proposed tax breaks and development project approvals in the city's north side.
Boyd is facing two bribery-related charges and a two-count wire fraud indictment related to an automobile insurance scheme.
If convicted of the main indictment, Boyd will face a $250,000 fine and 10 and five years in prison. His wire fraud charges carry an additional $250,000 fine and up to 20 years in prison.
Boyd's lawyer said Thursday after the indictment was announced that Boyd would not be resigning from the Board of Alderman. Boyd declined to give comments to the media as he walked out of his court hearing Thursday. He pleaded not guilty.
To read more about the charges and what led up to them, read our full coverage here.
Collins-Muhammad resigned his position last month with a cryptic apology.
Reed remains on the board. In a letter sent to the clerk of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen Thursday night, he requested 10th Ward Alderman Joe Vollmer preside over board meetings until further notice.
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones released a statement through her office Friday afternoon:
"The residents of the 22nd ward will be better served by an Alderman who is not facing federal corruption charges. Jeffrey Boyd needed to go."
This is a developing story. 5 On Your Side will add Information as it is confirmed.