Taxicab Corruption Suspects in DC Court

FOX 5 has learned that 28 of the 39 people under indictment in a D.C. taxicab corruption probe were arraigned Monday in federal court, including the three men the government says were the masterminds.

The government says the three men handed over more than $300,000 in cash in exchange for fraudulent taxicab licenses. It's a scheme that has so far lead directly into the office of D.C. Councilman Jim Graham.

The government says the three men who were behind the scheme all pleaded not guilty on Monday. Two of them were released on their own personal recognizance, and the third was held without bond until another hearing scheduled for Thursday.

According to the government, the rest of the men arraigned Monday were all hoping to become cab drivers, paying for fraudulent licenses without taking the tests.

Prosecutors say Berhane Leghese and Amanuel Ghirmazion, along with Yitbarek Syume, were behind a two-year scheme to bribe the chairman of the D.C. Taxicab Commission. As soon as they saw FOX 5's camera outside the courthouse on Monday, the men covered their faces and went back inside the courthouse.

The men then left the courthouse from a second exit and ran up the street as soon as they saw FOX 5's camera.

According to the indictment, the three agreed to pay Chairman Leon Swain, who was cooperating with the government, $10,000 for each license to operate multi-vehicle taxicab companies.

The indictment says the principal role of Ghirmazion was to raise money for the scheme, and the principal role of Leghese was to prepare documents associated with the corruptly obtained licenses.

The indictment says the third man, Syume, was to arrange for and make a series of bribe payments to the chairperson.

This scandle erupted a little over two weeks ago with the arrest of D.C. Councilman Jim Graham's chief of staff, Teddy Loza. Loza is accused of accepting $1,500 in cash in exchange for shaping taxicab legislation.

Jim Graham says he has done nothing wrong, and he has not accepted a bribe, but has declined to say whether he has been offered one.