• Lewis Reed was president of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen.
• Allegedly took bribes and abused his position for personal benefit.
• Accused of seeking $22,000 in insurance claims for cars he didn’t own.

Lewis Reed, President of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen, resigned five days after federal charges were revealed against him and two others. They allegedly took bribes and abused their positions for personal benefit.

Reed resigned on Tuesday, claiming he couldn’t serve residents while juggling “my present legal difficulties,” according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Board vice president Joe Vollmer said that he will serve as acting board president until November.

Federal prosecutors disclosed this week that Reed, as well as former aldermen Jeffrey Boyd and John Collins-Muhammad, were all indicted on May 25. Collins-Muhammad resigned several days before the indictment. All three have entered not guilty pleas.

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They are all facing two bribery allegations. A further two-count wire fraud indictment alleges that Boyd sought $22,000 in insurance claims for damage to automobiles he did not own.

Collins-Muhammad, Reed, and Boyd are accused of assisting a small-business owner in receiving tax credits and other financial benefits in exchange for bribes. The indictment also claims that Reed requested the company owner for $20,000 in campaign funds as part of an effort to change the ward line in order to shield Collins-Muhammad from recalling campaigners.