U.S. Department of Justice
Terrence Berg United States Attorney
Eastern District of Michigan

Suite 2001
211 West Fort Street
Detroit, Michigan 48226-3277

Glenn Blanton, 47, of West Bloomfield, formerly the Director of the Cobo Civic Center, pleaded guilty today to one count of obstruction of justice before United States District Judge Marianne O. Battani, Acting United States Attorney Terrence Berg announced today.

Berg was joined in the announcement by Andrew G. Arena, Special Agent In Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Maurice Aouate, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service.

Blanton committed the obstruction of justice in November 2005 during an FBI investigation of payments Blanton received from a contractor who held electrical, janitorial and food contracts at Cobo. Blanton attempted to conceal $15,000 in illegal payments that he had received from the contractor in May 2005 by creating checks payable to the contractor falsely purporting to be loan repayments. In fact, Blanton had accepted the $15,000 from the contractor knowing that the contractor expected Blanton to provide favorable treatment to the contractor in Blanton’s official capacity as Director of the Cobo Civic Center.

Under the plea agreement with the government, Blanton faces up to 16 months in federal prison and a fine of up to $30,000.

Acting United States Attorney Berg said: “Citizens have a right to expect that their public officials are performing their duties honestly and not being influenced by payments of any kind. We will continue to pursue this kind of public corruption wherever we encounter it.”

The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Michael Bullotta and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark D. Chutkow.