Chesterfield Township Supervisor Michael Lovelock is facing bribery charges as part of an ongoing and long-running investigation into corruption across Macomb County.
Lovelock, 57, is charged with demanding and accepting money in exchange for official acts as the Chesterfield Township Supervisor. He was arrested Thursday.
View: Criminal Complaint
From the U.S. Attorney's Office:
The complaint charges that since approximately 2010 and continuing through 2016, Lovelock accepted multiple bribes from the representative of a company that had a significant contract with Chesterfield Township. In total, Lovelock accepted over $30,000 in cash from the company’s representative. In addition, Lovelock accepted two other bribe payments totaling $4,000 in cash from an undercover agent of the FBI and an individual cooperating in the investigation, with the payments being video recorded.
In exchange for all of the cash that Lovelock demanded and accepted during the course of the bribery conspiracy, Lovelock agreed to use his official position as Chesterfield Supervisor to: (1) secure an extension of the contract with the township for the company, (2) put past due accounts of the company on the Chesterfield tax rolls so as to assist the company in getting paid by township residents, (3) obtain payment from Macomb County for the company for its work on flood damage that occurred in August 2014; and (4) provide a favorable reference for the company for other municipalities and so that Lovelock would not speak negatively about the company.
Clinton Township Trustee Dean Reynolds, 49, was the first of Macomb County’s elected leader to get taken down by the FBI. Reynolds is accused of shaking down business in Macomb County for nearly $70,000 in cash and high-priced favors, like a free lawyer to handle his divorce.
Read back: Chesterfield Township supervisor, police chief accused of shady deal
Macomb Township Trustee Clifford Freitas is charged with demanding and accepting money in exchange for official acts as a trustee.
The key company that was allegedly being squeezed for money was Sterling heights-based Rizzo Environmental Services. The company had been cooperating with the federal investigators for months as they probed politicians who are alleged to have been shaking businesses down for cash and favors.
Public officials who seek to take advantage of their official positions for their own personal gain by selling official acts should expect to be arrested and prosecuted,” said U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade. “The citizens of our district deserve elected representatives who make decisions based on the best interests of the community rather than their own corrupt financial interests."
Meanwhile, Macomb Township Trustee Dino Bucci is accused of extortion by Gianna Investments LLC.