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Former St. Peters mayor gets 18 months in bribery case
By Tim Bryant
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
01/30/2007
Shawn Brown's 18-month prison sentence, handed down Monday in federal court, came with a stinging rebuke from the
judge, who said the former St. Peters mayor abused his position and destroyed the public's faith in good government.
U.S. District Judge Henry Autrey rejected the request by Brown's attorneys to sentence him to home confinement. Autrey
instead gave Brown the minimum prison time guidelines called for in the felony bribery case. The former mayor could have
gotten up to two years.
Brown, 35, resigned Oct. 23 after pleading guilty of soliciting and accepting a $2,750 bribe from Redflex Traffic Systems
Inc., the company that is installing red-light traffic cameras in St. Peters.
Dressed in a dark, pin-striped suit, Brown stood as Autrey quizzed him about his mayoral campaign in 2004.
"Part of your promise to the citizens of St. Peters was honest government," the judge said.
Brown agreed.
Autrey replied: "You flat-out lied. You didn't complete your campaign promise."
He added that Brown failed to give St. Peters "a representative people could count on."
"You abused your position of trust … to steal, to fatten your own pocket," Autrey added.
By taking a bribe, Brown wrecked public faith in good government, Autrey said.
"When you took the money, Mr. Brown, when you stole it, you destroyed that faith," the judge said.
Autrey ordered Brown to repay the bribe money. His attorneys said he did that on Monday.
The judge allowed Brown to remain free until he is ordered to report to prison in a few weeks. At the request of Brown's
attorneys, Autrey will recommend to the Bureau of Prisons that the former mayor serve his time at the minimum-security
lockup in Yankton, S.D.
Brown said little during the sentencing in U.S. District Court in St. Louis and declined to comment afterward.
Scott Rosenblum, the lead defense attorney, said that with an 18-month sentence, Brown could hope to get out of prison in
nine to 12 months and complete his term at a halfway house.
Brown's other attorney, Adam Fein, had asked Autrey to go easy on the former mayor in light of his otherwise clean record
and good work through various civic organizations.
"His daily actions over the last few years show he is dedicated to his community," said Fein, adding that the Browns have
two children who "need someone there to care for them."
Brown's situation drew little sympathy from the judge or St. Peters residents interviewed Monday afternoon at the Rec-Plex.
"I never thought he was a good enough candidate to warrant the position of mayor," Liz Wohldmann, 46, said as her
daughter practiced figure skating. "There was nothing in his background that would merit him leading the city."
Mary Lou Joseph, a church secretary, said Brown's case is "really unfortunate."
"When people do something wrong, they have to suffer the consequences," Joseph said. "I'm sure when he was doing it, he
knew he was doing wrong."
After he was indicted in August, Brown claimed the payment from Redflex was a campaign contribution. When he pleaded
guilty in October, Brown admitted that in June he solicited and accepted the bribe.
As part of a plea agreement with federal prosecutors, Brown acknowledged he had told a Redflex employee he would veto
legislation approving the camera system's installation unless the employee paid the mayor as much money as the company
representative could manage.
Redflex told the FBI of Brown's request and cooperated with investigators in giving him a check for $2,750. Authorities said
Brown had the Redflex employee deliver the check to his home.
Brown, who had never held office before being elected mayor, beat 20-year incumbent Tom Brown in a bitterly fought
contest.
Alderman Bruce Holt is filling the mayor's job in St. Peters until the April election to determine which of six candidates will
complete the final year of Brown's term.
By Tim Bryant
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
01/30/2007
Shawn Brown's 18-month prison sentence, handed down Monday in federal court, came with a stinging rebuke from the
judge, who said the former St. Peters mayor abused his position and destroyed the public's faith in good government.
U.S. District Judge Henry Autrey rejected the request by Brown's attorneys to sentence him to home confinement. Autrey
instead gave Brown the minimum prison time guidelines called for in the felony bribery case. The former mayor could have
gotten up to two years.
Brown, 35, resigned Oct. 23 after pleading guilty of soliciting and accepting a $2,750 bribe from Redflex Traffic Systems
Inc., the company that is installing red-light traffic cameras in St. Peters.
Dressed in a dark, pin-striped suit, Brown stood as Autrey quizzed him about his mayoral campaign in 2004.
"Part of your promise to the citizens of St. Peters was honest government," the judge said.
Brown agreed.
Autrey replied: "You flat-out lied. You didn't complete your campaign promise."
He added that Brown failed to give St. Peters "a representative people could count on."
"You abused your position of trust … to steal, to fatten your own pocket," Autrey added.
By taking a bribe, Brown wrecked public faith in good government, Autrey said.
"When you took the money, Mr. Brown, when you stole it, you destroyed that faith," the judge said.
Autrey ordered Brown to repay the bribe money. His attorneys said he did that on Monday.
The judge allowed Brown to remain free until he is ordered to report to prison in a few weeks. At the request of Brown's
attorneys, Autrey will recommend to the Bureau of Prisons that the former mayor serve his time at the minimum-security
lockup in Yankton, S.D.
Brown said little during the sentencing in U.S. District Court in St. Louis and declined to comment afterward.
Scott Rosenblum, the lead defense attorney, said that with an 18-month sentence, Brown could hope to get out of prison in
nine to 12 months and complete his term at a halfway house.
Brown's other attorney, Adam Fein, had asked Autrey to go easy on the former mayor in light of his otherwise clean record
and good work through various civic organizations.
"His daily actions over the last few years show he is dedicated to his community," said Fein, adding that the Browns have
two children who "need someone there to care for them."
Brown's situation drew little sympathy from the judge or St. Peters residents interviewed Monday afternoon at the Rec-Plex.
"I never thought he was a good enough candidate to warrant the position of mayor," Liz Wohldmann, 46, said as her
daughter practiced figure skating. "There was nothing in his background that would merit him leading the city."
Mary Lou Joseph, a church secretary, said Brown's case is "really unfortunate."
"When people do something wrong, they have to suffer the consequences," Joseph said. "I'm sure when he was doing it, he
knew he was doing wrong."
After he was indicted in August, Brown claimed the payment from Redflex was a campaign contribution. When he pleaded
guilty in October, Brown admitted that in June he solicited and accepted the bribe.
As part of a plea agreement with federal prosecutors, Brown acknowledged he had told a Redflex employee he would veto
legislation approving the camera system's installation unless the employee paid the mayor as much money as the company
representative could manage.
Redflex told the FBI of Brown's request and cooperated with investigators in giving him a check for $2,750. Authorities said
Brown had the Redflex employee deliver the check to his home.
Brown, who had never held office before being elected mayor, beat 20-year incumbent Tom Brown in a bitterly fought
contest.
Alderman Bruce Holt is filling the mayor's job in St. Peters until the April election to determine which of six candidates will
complete the final year of Brown's term.
Watchdog Response:
We can only hope the Shawn Brown saga sends a message to our local officials. But don't bet on it. Brown was not only
guilty of accepting a bribe, he is also guilty of gross stupidity. This could not have been Brown's first foray into graft. Do you
think Brown just woke up one day and decided he was going to ask for a bribe? Of course not. Brown was well versed in the
game and almost certainly someone else introduced Brown to how the game was played. Brown's stupidity, however, was in
going outside the usual suspects and we aren't going to stop corruption until the usual suspects pay the price.
So to our friends in the federal government, take a day to celebrate this small victory but we all know Shawn Brown is just the
tip of the iceberg. While Brown got what he deserves Brown was simply a user, it's time to nail the pushers. That's when we
will celebrate.
We can only hope the Shawn Brown saga sends a message to our local officials. But don't bet on it. Brown was not only
guilty of accepting a bribe, he is also guilty of gross stupidity. This could not have been Brown's first foray into graft. Do you
think Brown just woke up one day and decided he was going to ask for a bribe? Of course not. Brown was well versed in the
game and almost certainly someone else introduced Brown to how the game was played. Brown's stupidity, however, was in
going outside the usual suspects and we aren't going to stop corruption until the usual suspects pay the price.
So to our friends in the federal government, take a day to celebrate this small victory but we all know Shawn Brown is just the
tip of the iceberg. While Brown got what he deserves Brown was simply a user, it's time to nail the pushers. That's when we
will celebrate.