A former Detroit Police Department detective pleaded guilty to taking bribes from a towing company operator.
Michael Pacteles, 45, of Southgate, resigned from DPD and later from the Hamtramck Police Department.
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According to his plea deal, while working as a detective, the 45-year-old accepted bribes, including a vehicle and $3,200 in cash from the towing company operator.
In return, Pacteles provided favors to the company operator. Instead of covering stolen vehicles from the towing company operator’s possession, Pacteles removed them from the database of the Detroit Police Department that showed they were stolen.
The 45-year-old also agreed to provide the operator with information about vehicles from the Michigan Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN), a restricted law enforcement database.
Pacteles plead guilty to committing bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.
“Police officers take an oath to protect and serve the public good,” said United States Attorney Dawn N. “Our office is committed to prosecuting those officers who betray the public trust by ignoring that oath and accepting bribes.”
“Today’s guilty plea should serve as a deterrent to those who use their official position to benefit themselves or violate their oath to serve the City of Detroit,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “I would like to thank the members of the Detroit Area Public Corruption Task Force and the Detroit Police Department, especially Police Chief James White, for their partnership and cooperation as we continue to investigate public corruption.”
