Among those vying to become mayor of Ford Heights this spring are interim Mayor Freddie Wilson, former Mayor Annie Coulter and village trustee Antoina McMichaels, who has held that role for two decades.

Trustees Tyreese Andrews and Germaine Hooks are running for reelection, while trustees Douglas Jones, Elliott Harper and Johnny Griffin will not be on the ballot.

Hooks and Jones were appointed to two vacancies on the board last month created after former Mayor Charles Griffin and trustee Jimmy Viverette were forced to resign. Griffin was convicted of embezzling between $10,000 and $100,000 from the village and Viverette was found by the Cook County state’s attorney’s office to have previously been convicted of a felony, disqualifying them from holding office.

However, records obtained by the Daily Southtown indicate that Jones, who was appointed by Wilson despite having only lived in Ford Heights a few years, also has a felony criminal record.

Shortly after his appointment as trustee, Jones filed to have his 1995 felony robbery conviction and his 1989 felony charge of manufacturing/delivering between 10 and 30 grams of cocaine sealed or expunged by Cook County.

Court records show Jones was sentenced to three years in the Illinois Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to the felony robbery charge. He also pleaded guilty to the drug charge, completing probation as a result. The state’s attorney’s office did not respond to questions about his eligibility to serve as trustee, but Jones was still part of the board as of the village’s most recent meeting Wednesday.

Jones and Wilson declined to answer questions after the board meeting related to Jones’ felony convictions or Wilson’s reelection campaign.

“I’m running for mayor myself, that’s all I can tell you,” Wilson said Thursday.

After Jones was first sworn in, Wilson said he selected him for appointment due to his regular attendance at board meetings and interest in village government.

“Only concerned citizens show up to these meetings, unless something crazy is going on,” Wilson said at the time.

Wilson will face four challengers in the April election, as the village is not holding a primary, according to Village Clerk Nyota Figgs. They include Coulter, who was trustee from 2017 to 2021 after losing reelection to Griffin, McMichaels, former trustee LaDell Jones and former trustee Scottie Hatten, who ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2021. All candidates in Ford Heights filed as Independents, Figgs said.

McMichaels said she chose to run in part because she was overlooked as interim mayor after Griffin stepped down, despite being the longest serving board member.

“It’s not right,” she said after being the sole no vote on Wilson’s nomination. “I’m not mad about the seat — it’s a respect thing.”

On Wednesday, McMichaels said as mayor she would partner with businesses and organizations to bring economic growth to the long-struggling town of about 1,700 people. She also wants to add crosswalks to make the streets safer and return the village to its previous name of East Chicago Heights, which was changed to Ford Heights in the 1980s.

Trustee position challengers include Tracey McDowell, Stacey Perry, Tiffany LaRue, James Morgan, Lorenzo Nichols, Amelia Owens and Jimmie Watson to take on incumbents Hooks and Andrews. Figgs will face Wendell Franklin in the clerk’s race.

ostevens@chicagotribune.com