Ken Koontz
In December, Patrick Cannon placed his hand on the Bible in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center be sworn in as Charlotte mayor. Four months later, Cannon was sworn in again, but this time the Bible was in a federal courtroom and Cannon was pleading guilty to one count of honest services wire fraud. Cannon entered his guilty plea today surrounded by his attorneys. He will be sentenced later. He faces up to 20 years in prison and must pay restitution and forfeit any monetary and material gains from his corruption.
Cannon’s plea arraignment lasted about 20 minutes. He had little to say in court other than to respond to the judge’s questions ensuring that Cannon understood the charges against him and the potential penalties. Cannon did thank his attorneys for representing him.
“They have shown complete dedication and commitment,” Cannon said. ” I would like to thank them for their legal counsel services.”
After entering his plea, Cannon spoke to the media and asked the public for forgiveness.
“For nearly half of my life, I have had the honor of serving the people of Charlotte. Much has been given to me in the way of the public’s trust. I regret having acted in ways that broke that trust,” Cannon said to the swarm of media. “As I have asked of my family and friends, I also ask of you the public; your forgiveness.”
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