A city electrician has admitted that he accepted bribes over several years on the job. Robert W. Webster, 66, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery involving governments receiving federal funds and two counts of bribery concerning governments receiving federal funds.
The Quad City Times reported that from at least 2004-2010, Webster conspired with employees at Brown Traffic Products, Inc. of Davenport, Iowa, to accept all-expenses-paid trips including airfare, lodging, meals, drinks, and entertainment, intending to be rewarded or influenced in connection with business transactions with the city of Bettendorf.
He admitted that in March 2009, he accepted $2,700 from an employee of BTP in the form of a check issued to Webster’s wife and deposited into her credit union account.
Webster further admitted that in September 2009, he accepted payment for golf at the Kokopelli golf course in Gilbert, Arizona, from an employee of BTP as a reward or as influence for transactions with the city, according to federal prosecutors.
He worked for the city for 32 years as an electrician in the Community Development Department and was paid an annual salary of $62,173 before becoming the subject of a federal investigation in October 2010. The city conducted its own investigation but ended it without reaching a conclusion when Webster resigned one month later in November 2010.
