In 1978, City Councilman Raymond D. Royall was presumed drowned after he apparently faked a boating accident. He turned up in St. Louis with a new identity. He returned to Richmond and pleaded guilty to making a false statement to a bank in applying for a loan and failing to file a corporate income tax return.
Also in 1978, the Virginia Supreme Court ruled that Councilman William I. Golding Sr. had to give up his council seat because he had been convicted of eight felony counts in 1955, including breaking and entering and auto theft. His voting rights were later restored, and he was re-elected.
In 1995, Councilman Henry W. "Chuck" Richardson was arrested, resigned his council seat and pleaded guilty to distributing heroin.
In 1999, Councilman Leonidas B. Young, who had served as mayor from 1994 to 1996, resigned from the council and pleaded guilty to federal mail fraud, obstruction of justice and filing a false U.S. tax return.
In 2000, City Councilwoman Reva M. Trammell was charged with interfering with a city police officer. She was accused of ordering the officer not to tell anyone about an argument she had with another officer. The charge against Trammell later was dismissed.
In 2003, Beverly D. Crawford, the wife of City Councilman Sa'ad El-Amin, pleaded guilty to conspiring to evade paying taxes. El-Amin later pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy charge as part of the tax-evasion case and resigned his council seat.
In 2004, Councilwoman Gwen C. Hedgepeth resigned. A federal jury had convicted her of conspiracy to commit extortion, making false statements to federal officers and two counts of attempting to commit extortion.
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