EAST CLEVELAND, OH — Federal prosecutors are asking a judge to sentence former East Cleveland Chief of Staff Michael Smedley to more than eight years in prison after his conviction on corruption charges earlier this year.
Smedley was found guilty on federal bribery charges as well as charges of conspiracy to commit bribery, honest services fraud and extortion.
Investigators said the 57-year-old used his position inside East Cleveland City Hall to help brothers Muzzamil and Zubair Al Zubair defraud investors out of millions of dollars.
Prosecutors accused Smedley of using his job as chief of staff to East Cleveland’s mayor to help Muzzammil and Zubair Al Zubair perpetuate their schemes to defraud investors.
In exchange, prosecutors said Smedley accepted payments, expensive meals and tickets to Browns games from the brothers in exchange for his help, suggesting that the pair had political influence.
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The Al Zubair brothers were convicted of several federal charges, including wire fraud conspiracy, theft of government funds, bribery and money laundering.
In a sentencing memorandum filed this week, prosecutors wrote, “Smedley showed he was willing to sell out his community for his own personal gain,” and accused him of engaging in “corrupt relations with the Al Zubair brothers to help himself at the expense of the public.”
Prosecutors asked Judge Donald Nugent to send Smedley to prison for 97 months when he’s sentenced in May.
“A significant sentence is needed to deter others who may be in similar positions as Smedley,” prosecutors wrote. “Public corruption can only be deterred if public officials know with certainty that they will be subject to serious consequences if they give into temptation and betray their duty to serve the public interest.”
But Smedley’s attorney asked the judge to spare his client prison time and sentence him to probation.
“Placing Mr. Smedley on community control will not demean the purposes of sentencing, the protection of the public, promotion of respect for the law, and discouragement of crime,” Attorney Charles Tyler wrote.
Tyler said his client is a family man, father and grandfather who has maintained a job and sobriety throughout the case.
Smedley and the Al Zubair brothers have been jailed since their January convictions.
