Family members indicted for bribing city officials to open medical marijuana grow

Three Dearborn Hieghts men have been charged with bribing officials from Garden City to open a medical marijuana dispensary in the city.

The indictment was unsealed on Thursday where Mike Baydoun, 54, Ali Baydoun, 52, and Jalal Baydoun, 38. According to the indictment, the Baydouns conspired to bribe the mayor, police chief, and three city council members in Garden City to get authorization for a medical marijuana plant grow.

The indictment claims that the Baydouns delivered $15,000 in cash to a Garden City official between September 2016 and December 2016. The money was allegedly meant for the three city council members to influence the council to vote in favor of allowing a medical marijuana grow operation.

The indictment also claims Mike Baydoun offered up to $40,000 per month to one of the city officials.

What he didn't know, the indictment claims, is that official was working with federal authorities.

In September, Mike told the official that he offered another official to buy a police car and pay for a police officer's yearly wages in exchange for approval, the indictment claims. The following day, it's alleged Mike offered the same two officials and an unknown state official $150,000, or 25% of the proceeds, in exchange for a permit to grow 1,500 plants.

At the end of November, the indictment says he handed over $5,000 to each of the three city officials and agreed put the another $150,000 in escrow for future bribes.

On December 2, Mike brought in Ali and Jalal, his nephews, into the business as the three met with an official in the a city police car, the indictment claims. That same day, another $15,000 was given to the city official, with $5,000 meant for each of the three as bribes to get the votes to change the city ordinance.

All three Baydouns were charged in July with the felony bribery charges are in federal custody.