DETROIT – A former Detroit police officer has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison after he was convicted of bribery.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of Michigan, ex-officer Michael Mosley, 49, pleaded guilty in February 2020; however, his sentencing was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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“The vast majority of Detroit Police Officers are dedicated and superb public servants. When Mosley accepted a bribe, he betrayed his oath as a police officer and the citizens of Detroit,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Saima Mohsin. “He also betrayed his fellow officers who seek to protect and serve with integrity. This prosecution demonstrates that we will not tolerate public officials who abuse their authority and seek to use their power to line their own pockets.”
Officials said on April 3, 2019, officers, including Mosley, searched a drug trafficker’s home after obtaining a search warrant. Two kilograms of heroin, one kilogram of cocaine and six firearms were recovered.
The drug trafficker admitted to Mosley to owning the drugs and signed a confession.
Officials said Mosley, who was a 19-year veteran of the Detroit Police Department, stayed in contact with the suspect to secure the trafficker’s cooperation on other criminal activity. The trafficker offered Mosley $15,000 in exchange for not pursuing criminal charges on the three kilograms of drugs found during the search, officials said.
On May 2, 2019, Mosley collected $10,000 left for him in the backyard of an abandoned home in Detroit, officials said. He accepted another $5,000 a few weeks later. In exchange, he gave the trafficker the original copy of his confession.
“We are deeply disappointed in the actions of former police officer Michael Mosley,” said Detroit Interim Police Chief James White. “I appreciate the collaborative effort with our federal partners and those members who conducted this thorough investigation and subsequent prosecution. Clearly, the actions of this former officer are disheartening; however, it does not represent the values of our department and the vast majority of the men and women who serve honorably to keep our residents safe.”
“Michael Mosley violated his oath to serve and protect the people of Detroit. His misconduct was a betrayal of his fellow officers, and it is not representative of the outstanding work of the Detroit Police Department every day,” said FBI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Timothy Waters. “The FBI will do everything in its power to bring corrupt police officers to justice to ensure communities can have faith in the integrity of law enforcement.”