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Former Ficano Aide Pleads Guilty To Accepting Bribes

DETROIT (WWJ) - The former Deputy Chief Information Officer for Wayne County plead guilty on Monday to illegally taking cash from a private contractor.

U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade said 41-year-old David Edwards admitted that between 2009 and 2011 he accepted $13,000 in cash from a private contractor who had technology contracts with Wayne County.

"This plea is one more step in the investigation to uncover public corruption in Wayne County and to ensure that all citizens receive the honest government they deserve," said McQuade in a statement.

Edwards is facing a maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

As part of his plea agreement with the government, Edwards has agreed to cooperate fully with the federal authorities' continuing investigation of corruption in Wayne County.

Meantime, a Wayne County Commissioner is calling for county executive Robert Ficano to step down amid the "indictments, allegations of mismanagement, fraud, malfeasance, misfeasance, improper payouts and payoffs and various other scandals," plaguing his office.

Ficano maintains that he has done nothing wrong and has no plans to resign.

Edwards was the fifth former member of the Ficano administration to face federal corruption charges.

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