Hartford, Conn., mayor convicted of taking a bribe, attempted extortion

Hartford, Conn., mayor convicted of corruption

HARTFORD, Conn. — A Connecticut jury has convicted Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez of corruption charges, including accepting home improvements as a bribe and trying to extort money from a real estate developer.

The jury convicted Perez of five of six corruption charges on Friday after a six-week trial. Deliberations began Wednesday afternoon.

The charges stemmed from allegations Perez accepted $40,000 in home improvements from a city contractor and tried to extort $100,000 for a political ally from a developer who wanted to buy city-owned property.

Sentencing is set for Sept. 10.