Former Columbus City Hall lobbyist John Raphael pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Columbus Wednesday morning to a single count related to accepting a bribe in 2015 from a firm seeking a Greater Columbus Convention Center food contract while he sat on the center s board.
Raphael pleaded guilty before Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King to one count of honest services wire fraud. King asked Raphael if he understood that he faced up to 20 years in federal prison, followed by up to three years of probation, could be ordered to forfeit $144,000 he gained from the scheme, pay a fine up to double that amount, and make restitution to any victims of his crime.