McGee Booking Record, County Sheriff's Office, 5/28/07

Sixth district Alderman Michael McGee Jr. was arrested Monday evening (5/28) on State felony charges for substantial battery/intend bodily harm, party to a crime; substantial battery-intend bodily harm; and conspiracy. (See image to the right; click to enlarge.) WTMJ4 notes that police searched McGee's Trostel Square apartment near Commerce St. Monday evening. This is McGee's third arrest in 18 months.

Two other men were arrested in connection with McGee: possibly McGee's uncle or godfather, Little Allen ("Al") Stewart (photo), age 58, and Dimitrius Jackson (photo), age 38. The State cases for all three men remain sealed, and an existing John Doe hearing opened in December 2006 regarding McGee's recall has also been sealed.

For more than a year, State authorities have been cooperating with the FBI in a federal investigation of McGee for bribery and extortion. Federal charges of bribery and extortion against McGee are currently pending based on a criminal complaint. However, Monday night's arrests on State charges seem to have been precipitated by a new concern about potential violent crimes.

This afternoon U.S. Attorney Steven Biskupic, Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm, and Special Agent James McNally for the FBI held a press conference and released the criminal complaint regarding McGee. The full details of the Federal case against him has not yet been released, but it is evident in the complaint that wiretapping was used along with evidence from business owners who contacted the FBI about McGee and cooperated with the investigation.

The complaint outlines incidents dating back to May 2006 when the FBI began an investigation of McGee's activities. In the complaint McGee is accused of taking bribes and extorting money from business owners in exchange for his support in procuring various (mainly liquor) licenses. References are made to four different business owners, an undercover agent, and "dozens of encounters" between them and McGee that were witnessed by FBI and other law enforcement officers.

WISN 12 News and the Journal later interviewed Ajit Singh, who owns two gas stations in the 6th district. The media has reported that Singh appears as one of the anonymous business owners in the criminal complaint and claims McGee forced him to pay $2,000 to keep his 24-hour operating license. Other business owners, some with stores in or near Riverwest, have spoken to the media about McGee's pressure tactics in fundraising.

While the number of counts for the federal charges has not been specified and further charges may be pending, the Journal-Sentinel has reported the maximum penalty McGee faces is 30 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. On the State charges, which are the same for McGee, Stewart, and Jackson (solicitation to commit a felony/conspiracy and solicitation to commit a felony/substantial battery), each man faces up to seven years in prison. (Update 5/31: "Stewart is charged with being party to the crime of solicitation to commit a felony and with conspiracy to commit substantial battery. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of three and a half years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000 on each count.")
  
Common Council President Willie Hines, Jr. issued a news release today saying that he has relieved McGee of all committee assignment duties which included positions on the Licenses, Public Safety, and Community and Economic Development committees. Prior to this Mayor Barrett had asked for McGee to voluntarily step down from his committee assignments.

The FBI wants anyone with information relevant to the charges against McGee to contact them at (414) 276-4684.

Media coverage:

• Court hears of bribes for votes
• State files new criminal charges against McGee
  
• 2nd bribery charge filed
  
• DA says McGee plotted beating
  
• McGee faces bribery charges: Federal charges filed; some state charges sealed
• Gas station owner says he paid $2000 to keep 24-hour permit
  
• McGee faces extortion, bribery charges
• McGee appears in court on state charges
  
• Criminal complaint document (PDF)
  
• Video of press conference (TMJ4)
• Various WISN12 coverage
  
• Bribery charges anticipated for McGee
• McGee documents to remained sealed today
• Press conference on McGee with Milwaukee DA and US Attorney set for 1pm
• McGee to appear in court this morning
• McGee arrested in corruption case
• McGee  arrested in federal case

Related News, Commentary, and Historical Matter:

• Council has ouster power
  
• McGee lives down to his own expectation (Patrick McIlheran, JS)
  
• Theater of the absurd feeds on McGee I, II (Jim Stingl, JS)
  
• The McGee Test (Joel McNally, Shepherd-Express)
  
• For loyalty, McGee voters deserve better ; Sealed record casts doubt in McGee case (Eugene Kane, JS)
  
• McGee case brings that sinking feeling (Mike Nichols, JS)
  
• McGee calls his radio show from jail to sing about fighting in an army "until we die."
  
• Process of awarding licenses must be reviewed, Barrett says
  
• What was McGee, Jr. up to? (Rick Esenberg, Shark & Shepherd)
  
• A Cloud Returns to City Hall (Greg Borowski, JS)
  
• Time to Resign (JS editorial)
  
• McGee, in inaugural speech, thanked "uncle Al Stewart" for making him "champion I am today"
  
• McGee quoted on the day he was sworn into office: "You'll never hear about me taking any money under the table."