Ex-Strongsville councilman sentenced for bribery, corruption

Patrick Coyne gets 4 years, 9 months

9/26/2011

CLEVELAND — A former city councilman in suburban Cleveland has been sentenced to four years and nine months in prison for bribery in a public corruption investigation.

Former Strongsville Councilman Patrick Coyne has been sentenced in federal court on Monday after pleading guilty in June to five counts, including bribery, conspiracy and wire fraud.

The Plain Dealer reports that Coyne’s sentence was more than doubled for his scamming of an 84-year-old man who invested $32,500 in a phony Krispy Kreme franchise scam.

Coyne had already confessed to accepting $20,000 in bribes from a developer.

Coyne has close ties to the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party and has worked for the county prosecutor, coroner and treasurer.

Before being led away in handcuffs, Coyne apologized to his friends, family and victim, Philip Susteric.