DANNY WICENTOWSKI
Lewis Reed was president of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen since 2007.
Former St. Louis Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges in court today. He will be sentenced on December 6.
Reed originally said he was not guilty when his charges became public in June and did not plan to resign, though he stepped down days later after calls for his resignation mounted.
Prosecutors had alleged Reed and his two co-defendants — former aldermen Jeffrey Boyd and John Collins-Muhammad — accepted cash bribes and other gifts in exchange for their help in securing tax abatement for a developer.
Up until his resignation, Reed was the longest serving member of the Board of Aldermen. His tenure spanned 20 years, starting with his election to Ward 6 alderman in 1999. He was elected to president in 2007 and kept the position through three failed attempts to become St. Louis mayor.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
