TAYLOR, Mich. (FOX 2) - The former mayor of Taylor will learn his sentence Tuesday after pleading guilty to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit bribery last year.
As part of his plea, Rick Sollars will likely receive a sentence of no more than 71 months in prison. The charges carry a max sentence of 20 years.
Between 2016 and 2018, Sollars used his authority and influence as mayor to recommend to the Taylor City Council that real estate developer Shady Awad’s company, Realty Transition, be awarded the majority of the tax-foreclosed properties that the city had or would acquire under its Right of Refusal program. This was a program designed to allow Taylor to acquire tax-foreclosed properties from Wayne County for redevelopment.
Federal authorities said that Sollars recommended Realty Transition for the ROFR program, intending to be influenced and rewarded by the free home renovations and other items of value that Awad provided to Sollars for his personal residence, office, and lake house.
As part of his election efforts, Sollars established a campaign account named "Committee to Elect Richard Sollars, Jr." He then defrauded his donors by fraudulently using funds that were donated for his personal benefit rather than for his political campaign.
Authorities said Sollars also directed his campaign treasurer to provide him with a signed blank check from his campaign account. Sollars then made that check payable to Dominick’s Market in the amount of $5,600, purporting to represent payment for catering services provided to the campaign. The owner of Dominick’s Market, Hadir Altoon, prepared a false invoice purporting to reflect a bill for $5,600 in catering services for a 2018 Superbowl party at City Hall. However, Dominick’s Market did not provide catering services worth $5,600 and instead cashed the campaign check and gave some of the money to Sollars for personal use.
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