Sign in / up

back to article City of Detroit's IT boss took payola from tech suppliers, now faces jail

The head of IT for the city of Detroit, Michigan, has admitted taking bribes from a pair of tech contractors. Charles L. Dodd, 46, trousered $29,500 for helping to award deals to two companies that were trying to avoid losing work through city cutbacks. After Dodd pulled the right strings and accepted the payola, the pair of …

COMMENTS

Post your comment
House rules Send corrections
Add to 'My topics' unstar *
  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Motor City bad man

    "The head of IT for the city of Detroit, Michigan, has admitted taking bribes..."

    Maybe he cash scratch fever?

    1 0 Reply
  2. Erik4872

    It's the way of the world

    In the US, the kickbacks and bribes are much lower scale than the rest of the world, but the IT world is full of little stories like this here and there. A reseller pays the purchasing manager $20K to get on the preferred vendor list. A CIO gets pumped full of booze, golf and strip club visits until he signs the exclusive deal with Oracle/SAP/Microsoft. The CEO overrides the bidding on a contract to give his brother's company a sweetheart deal. The only reason this guy got caught was because there was at least some public scrutiny. If Detroit wasn't in such bad financial shape, I'll bet this would have never come to light.

    I'm not saying it's right, but it does happen. Often the scale is so small in the context of a larger deal that companies just factor it into the cost of winning the business.

    5 0 Reply
    1. Geoffrey W
      Reply Icon

      Re: It's the way of the world

      Indeed. My first thought was, "Is that all he got?" When you look at some of the more egregious antics that go on then this hardly seems to deserve a severe tut-tutting and a vigorous finger wag.

      2 0 Reply
      1. Captain DaFt
        Reply Icon

        Re: It's the way of the world

        - My first thought was, "Is that all he got?" -

        Well considering he "was also given a free trip to North Carolina"*, I figure the judge felt he'd already been partially punished.

        *Can't help thinking that they threatened to send him again and leave him if he hadn't signed the deal.

        3 0 Reply
      2. Mark 85
        Reply Icon

        Re: It's the way of the world

        I'm wondering why the fine didn't at least match the amount of the bribe. Maybe crime does pay... somewhat?

        3 0 Reply
        1. kain preacher
          Reply Icon

          Re: It's the way of the world

          Oh they can come back with some thing called asset forfeiture. That's when they take every thing you own and it's up to you to prove you earned it legitimately. See a fine can be appealed and is not due till the final verdict is in. With asset forfeiture the states keeps unless you win.

          3 0 Reply
          1. lglethal Silver badge
            Reply Icon
            Go

            Re: It's the way of the world

            I can see what you guys are saying about the way of the world and all that, but just to be clear IF you're seeing this in your firm and aren't doing anything about it, then YOU are part of the problem.

            €15k may not be that much compared to some other thefts going on, but that is a low level workers salary, so someone is out of a job, because this guy was a greedy prick. There's no way we should stand for that...

            3 0 Reply
  3. GrumpyKiwi

    Punishment fits the crime

    I'm not quite sure how much more he could be punished than being forced to continue to live in Detroit.

    5 0 Reply
    1. Mark 85
      Reply Icon
      Devil

      Re: Punishment fits the crime

      Flint... and he would have drink the water.

      5 0 Reply

POST COMMENT House rules

Not a member of The Register? Create a new account here.

Forgotten password ?

  • Enter your comment

  • Add an icon

Anonymous cowards cannot choose their icon

Other stories you might like