MUNCIE, Ind. (WISH) — The mayor of Muncie has been arrested by FBI agents.
Mayor Dennis Tyler was taken into custody on Monday morning.
The arrest was confirmed by Chris Bavender, spokesperson for the FBI.
“I can confirm an arrest warrant was executed at the home of Mayor Dennis Tyler this morning and he is currently in custody. Any further questions should be directed to the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” Bavender said in a statement.
Tyler, a Democrat, has served as the mayor of Muncie since 2012. He did not run for reelection this year.
This is the latest development after years of federal investigative activity in Muncie.
In 2016, Tyler stated that the FBI was looking into the city’s government for possible wrongdoing.
City offices were searched by the FBI in 2017. At the time, the city refused to answer questions about the search. When asked why the FBI showed up, a Muncie city attorney replied “you know as much as I do.”
In January, former building commissioner Craig Nichols was sentenced to to two years in prison for money laundering and wire fraud. He was building commissioner from 2012 through mid-2018.
In July, Muncie Sanitary District Administrator Debra Grigsby was arrested for steering contracts in exchange for kickback payments.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.