INSIDER
Michigan residents federally charged with blocking doors to reproductive health clinic in Tennessee
Read full article: Michigan residents federally charged with blocking doors to reproductive health clinic in TennesseeThree Michigan residents are being federally charged alongside eight other people for blocking access to a reproductive health care facility in Tennessee last year.
Former aide to testify against former Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith
Read full article: Former aide to testify against former Macomb County Prosecutor Eric SmithHe was the Chief Operating Officer of the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office under embattled former Prosecutor Eric Smith. Tuesday (May 31) night, he’s reached a plea deal that includes testifying against his former boss.
Former Macomb County prosecutor sentenced to prison: ‘I did this to myself and I’ve lost everything as a result’
Read full article: Former Macomb County prosecutor sentenced to prison: ‘I did this to myself and I’ve lost everything as a result’It’s been more than two years since Michigan State Police raided then-Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith’s home.
Grand jury indicts founder of electric carmaker Nikola on 3 counts of fraud
Read full article: Grand jury indicts founder of electric carmaker Nikola on 3 counts of fraudThe founder and one-time executive chair of Nikola Corp. was freed on $100 million bail Thursday after pleading not guilty to charges alleging he lied about the electric and hydrogen-powered truck startup, duping novice investors including some financially struggling people looking for income during the pandemic.
Harper Woods man who used elaborate disguises to steal money from casino patrons sentenced on wire, identity fraud charges
Read full article: Harper Woods man who used elaborate disguises to steal money from casino patrons sentenced on wire, identity fraud chargesA Harper Woods man who is accused of using disguises and stealing nearly $100,000 from 10 casino patrons will be going to federal prison for four years.
Business owner gets 1 year sentence for dumping industrial waste into Flint’s sewer system
Read full article: Business owner gets 1 year sentence for dumping industrial waste into Flint’s sewer systemFlint mayor Sheldon Neeley concerned the environmental impact of the crime will last longer than the sentence.
Owner of Oil Chem Inc. sentenced for illegal dumping of waste into Flint sewer system
Read full article: Owner of Oil Chem Inc. sentenced for illegal dumping of waste into Flint sewer systemThe owner of Oil Chem Inc has been sentenced to one year in prison following an investigation of illegal discharging of landfill leachate into Flint’s sanitary sewer system.
Informant in plot against Whitmer indicted on weapons charges
Read full article: Informant in plot against Whitmer indicted on weapons chargesA lot of the evidence in the trial was provided by key FBI informants. READ: How a post office worker became FBI’s inside man into terrorism plot against Gov. WhitmerAdThe FBI has named one of their key informants as Steven Robeson from Wisconsin. Attorneys for the men will argue the men were just talking about the plot and the FBI’s own informants helped train the men, allegedly pushing the plot forward. AdREAD: 19 details inside Whitmer kidnapping defendant’s guilty plea
FBI informant gives detailed account into domestic terrorism plot against Gov. Whitmer
Read full article: FBI informant gives detailed account into domestic terrorism plot against Gov. WhitmerREAD: Confidential informant testifies in hearing for 3 men accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov. Dan said one of the men working with the group wanted to hogtie Whitmer up and put her on display. READ: Who are the Wolverine Watchmen? AdThere were also discussions of installing Wolverine Watchmen members as the new government. One of the men, a supposed leader of the Wolverine Watchmen, claimed he would be targeting Michigan’s Attorney General and Lt.
Confidential informant testifies in hearing for 3 men accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov. Whitmer
Read full article: Confidential informant testifies in hearing for 3 men accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov. WhitmerLANSING, Mich. – A confidential informant for the FBI is testifying in the case against three men charged in the plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. The informant testified that he was there for the planning of both the storming of Michigan’s Capitol and the plot to kidnap and kill Whitmer. READ: How an informant brought down plot against Michigan Gov. He said he was introduced to the Wolverine Watchmen through a suggested page recommendation on Facebook. READ: Who are the Wolverine Watchmen?
Defense for Wolverine Watchmen argue violent rhetoric against Gov. Whitmer was satirical
Read full article: Defense for Wolverine Watchmen argue violent rhetoric against Gov. Whitmer was satiricalJACKSON, Mich. – Defense attorneys for Pete Musico, his son-in-law Joseph Morrison and Paul Bellar -- who are accused of being involved in a domestic terrorism plot to kidnap or kill Gov. READ: Who are the Wolverine Watchmen? Thursday was day two of the hearing for the three members of the Wolverine Watchmen. AdThe defense attorneys used a series of different arguments Thursday. READ: Defense attorneys rebut FBI claims in alleged plot against Gov.
Defense attorneys rebut FBI claims in alleged plot against Gov. Whitmer
Read full article: Defense attorneys rebut FBI claims in alleged plot against Gov. WhitmerJACKSON, Mich. – Defense attorneys for Pete Musico, his son-in-law Joseph Morrison and Paul Bellar -- who are accused of being involved in a domestic terrorism plot to kidnap or kill Gov. READ: Who are the Wolverine Watchmen? Thursday was day two of the hearing for the three members of the Wolverine Watchmen. The defense also portrayed the violent rhetoric about Whitmer as satirical and that their activities only escalated after an FBI informant got involved. It’s a similar defense to what was used by attorneys representing members of the Hutaree group in 2012.
How an informant brought down plot against Michigan Gov. Whitmer
Read full article: How an informant brought down plot against Michigan Gov. Whitmer“He just wanted to notify us about the Wolverine Watchmen and tell us that the group was a danger to law enforcement,” the agent said. This information was revealed at the preliminary hearing for three of the 14 men accused in the kidnapping plot against Gov. READ: How a post office worker became FBI’s inside man into terrorism plot against Gov. READ: Who are the Wolverine Watchmen? READ: A look at group texts between suspects in terrorist plot against Michigan Gov.
How a post office worker became FBI’s inside man into terrorism plot against Gov. Whitmer
Read full article: How a post office worker became FBI’s inside man into terrorism plot against Gov. WhitmerJACKSON, Mich. – New evidence in the domestic terrorism plot to kidnap or kill Gov. READ: 3 men charged in domestic terrorism plot against Gov. READ: Who are the Wolverine Watchmen? RELATED: A look at group texts between suspects in terrorist plot against Michigan Gov. The man wanted out, but the FBI asked him to stay with the Wolverine Watchmen, wear a wire, record everything and risk his life.
3 men charged in domestic terrorism plot against Gov. Whitmer appear in court
Read full article: 3 men charged in domestic terrorism plot against Gov. Whitmer appear in courtJACKSON, Mich. – Attorneys for Pete Musico, his son-in-law Joseph Morrison and Paul Bellar -- who are accused of being involved in a domestic terrorism plot to kidnap or kill Gov. The attorneys are questioning the description of the Wolverine Watchmen as a terrorist organization. READ: Who are the Wolverine Watchmen? The FBI said they never heard of the Wolverine Watchmen until one of them created a Facebook Group. RELATED: A look at group texts between suspects in terrorist plot against Michigan Gov.
Man agrees to plead guilty to conspiracy in domestic terrorism plot against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
Read full article: Man agrees to plead guilty to conspiracy in domestic terrorism plot against Gov. Gretchen WhitmerGRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – A Hartland man admitted in federal court Wednesday to training and preparing other in the domestic terrorism plot to kidnap Gov. Ty Gerard Garbin, 24, of Hartland, agreed to plead guilty to an indictment that charges him with kidnapping conspiracy. READ: 19 details inside Whitmer kidnapping defendant’s guilty pleaGarbin, an airline mechanic from Hartand is the first person to plead guilty in the domestic terrorism plot against Whitmer. The weapons of mass destruction charge comes from the improvised explosive devices that were a part of the plan. In his plea, Garbin admits to his role in training to kidnap the governor in a violent raid on her summer home.
Nearly 8 years ago: Kwame Kilpatrick is convicted on 24 federal felony counts
Read full article: Nearly 8 years ago: Kwame Kilpatrick is convicted on 24 federal felony countsDETROIT - OCTOBER 28: Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick appears in Wayne County Circuit Court for his sentencing October 28, 2008 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)DETROIT – On March 11, 2013, former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was convicted on 24 federal felony counts, including mail fraud, wire fraud, and racketeering. Kwame Kilpatrick and Bernard Kilpatrick hug in Detroit court on March 11, 2013. Ferguson and former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick were convicted on federal racketeering charges. Bernard Kilpatrick, Kwame Kilpatrick's father, is accused of public corruption along with Victor Mercado, his son Kwame and Bobby Ferguson.
New web page lists all people federally charged in connection with violent Capitol attack
Read full article: New web page lists all people federally charged in connection with violent Capitol attackFILE - In this Jan. 6, 2021, file photo, Trump supporters try to break through a police barrier at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is listing all of the individuals currently facing federal charges in connection with the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the nation’s Capitol. As of Friday, a total of 46 individuals have been federally charged with offenses related to the violent insurrection that occurred in Washington on Jan. 6, which left five people dead. Read: More arrests in Capitol riot as more video reveals brutalityThe cases of those charged federally are being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Related: Fearing death, lawmakers obtain body armor, armed guards in wake of Capitol siege, says Michigan GOP Rep. Meijer
Texas woman accused of selling toxic diet pills in Michigan
Read full article: Texas woman accused of selling toxic diet pills in MichiganBAY CITY, Mich. – A Texas woman faces federal charges in Michigan for allegedly selling a toxic diet pill online to residents in the state’s Saginaw and Washtenaw counties. The indictment accuses her of obtaining the drug DNP, also known as 2, 4-dinitrophenol, from suppliers and profiting from its sale. The sales began as early as October 2018, and at least some of her customers were in Saginaw and Washtenaw counties, court records state. Holloway appeared remotely from Texas on Dec. 17 before a U.S. District Court magistrate judge in Michigan who granted Holloway a $10,000 unsecured bond and said she would be supervised out of Fort Worth, Texas. Her trial is set for April 20 before a federal judge in Bay City, Michigan.
Former Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith charged in state, federal investigations
Read full article: Former Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith charged in state, federal investigationsMacomb County’s former Prosecutor Eric Smith is facing federal and state charges in two different investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI as well as the Michigan Attorney General’s Office are conducting investigations, charging him on different alleged crimes. In addition, federal court said he developed a scheme with Macomb County Assistant Prosecutor Paul Bukowski to set up a fake consulting company contact to justify $20,000 in campaign money he stole. “It was clear it was more than misappropriation of funds it was.” said Macomb County Commissioner. Drolet along with county executive and treasurer Larry Rocca raised the alarm in 2018 over Smith’s handling of county asset forfeiture money.
Ex-Macomb County prosecutor Eric Smith faces up to 21 months in jail following guilty plea
Read full article: Ex-Macomb County prosecutor Eric Smith faces up to 21 months in jail following guilty pleaFormer Macomb County prosecutor Eric Smith is no stranger to a courtroom, but Friday he was just another defendant. United States Attorney Matthew Schneider said the FBI had been investigating Smith for more than a year. “Our state has seen a number of public officials who have sworn to uphold their oaths and then they violated that,” Schneider said. Smith was given a $10,000 unsecured bond, he can’t leave the state without approval and has to surrender his CPL. He faces up to 21 months in custody and a $250,000 dollar fine.
Former Macomb County prosecutor Eric Smith pleads guilty to obstruction of justice
Read full article: Former Macomb County prosecutor Eric Smith pleads guilty to obstruction of justiceFormer Macomb County prosecutor Eric Smith faced a federal judge Friday in connection to an alleged embezzlement scheme. Smith said he had told three people -- two assistant prosecutors and a friend -- to lie about he use of campaign funds. Smith faces up to 20 years in prison, but will likely serve less than two years on the federal charge. He is also facing charges of embezzlement and racketeering for his spending of $600,000 from an obscure Macomb County forfeiture fund. Of that $20,000, Smith gave the consultant $5,000 and kept the remaining $15,000, which he used for his own personal use.
NYT: 2 arrested in 2002 killing of hip-hop legend Jam Master Jay
Read full article: NYT: 2 arrested in 2002 killing of hip-hop legend Jam Master JayTwo men will be indicted in the killing of hip-hop pioneer D.J. Jam Master Jay, who was killed in Queens, New York in 2002, according to the New York Times. The New York Times reported Monday that federal prosecutors will announce an indictment of two men, Ronald Washington and Karl Jordan, Jr., who have long been suspected in the murder. Jam Master Jay was a member of the ground-breaking hip hop group, Run-DMC. He was gunned down at a recording studio in Queens in 2002.
How a Michigan woman went from federal prison back to running her own business
Read full article: How a Michigan woman went from federal prison back to running her own businessDETROIT A Michigan womans path took her from real estate success to federal prison -- but that sentence wasnt the ending of her story. She was caught up in a scandal of her own making in 2008 as a building real estate mogul. Federal authorities caught on to her scheme and she was sentenced to federal prison. Now, she has left behind her rap sheet and gone back to real estate building numerous revenue streams. Her real estate company has sold more than 600 properties.
7 years ago today: Kwame Kilpatrick is convicted on 24 federal felony counts
Read full article: 7 years ago today: Kwame Kilpatrick is convicted on 24 federal felony counts(Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)DETROIT – On March 11, 2013, former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was convicted on 24 federal felony counts, including mail fraud, wire fraud, and racketeering. I don’t have any comment,” Kwame Kilpatrick said to reporters while walking out of court that day. Kwame Kilpatrick and Bernard Kilpatrick hug in Detroit court on March 11, 2013. Ferguson and former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick were convicted on federal racketeering charges. Bernard Kilpatrick, Kwame Kilpatrick's father, is accused of public corruption along with Victor Mercado, his son Kwame and Bobby Ferguson.