Michigan law defines embezzlement as the theft or misappropriation of funds or property that has been entrusted to an individual by another person or a business. A store clerk who takes money out of a cash register and an executor who misappropriates estate assets could both be charged with embezzlement in Michigan. Depending on the amount of money or the value of the property involved, embezzlement can be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony. Types of embezzlement in Michigan Section 750 of the Michigan penal code addresses the following types of embezzlement: Embezzlement by a public ..read more

A Michigan woman who served as the director of a nonprofit organization that provided housing services to low-income Detroit residents is facing a raft of federal charges including multiple counts of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering. The 60-year-old Detroit resident was taken into custody on Feb. 28. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan announced the arrest and charges in a press release. Three other individuals were named in the press release, but they have not been charged. Fraudulent quitclaim deeds Federa ..read more

A Michigan man who operated a consulting firm in Detroit has been accused of defrauding Medicaid. The 59-year-old Livonia resident was arraigned on four counts of Medicaid fraud in an East Lansing District Court on Feb. 14. Each count carries a maximum custodial sentence of four years and a maximum fine of $50,000. The man is scheduled to appear in court again on Feb. 23 to attend a probable cause hearing. He was released on a personal recognizance bond of $50,000. Therapeutic mentors The Michigan Department of Attorney General’s Health Care Fraud Division began investigating the man’s alleged ..read more

Counterfeiting is punishable both at a state and federal level in Michigan. Most people think of counterfeiting as making fake money, but it includes fake products, dishonest marketing and willful possession of counterfeit items. Trademark and identifying mark infringement It’s illegal to produce products that have a trademark or an identifying mark unless the brand has given you permission. Any attempt to pass off an item as a brand that it’s not is illegal. The law requires sellers to be honest in their marketing of all products and services. Misdemeanor or felony Not all white-collar crimes ..read more

A married couple who once held senior positions in former Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield’s office have been accused of embezzlement. During an arraignment hearing held in an Esat Lansing District Court on Jan 3., the couple entered not guilty pleas to counts of conducting a criminal enterprise, conspiring to conduct a criminal enterprise, embezzlement, making false pretenses and filing a false tax return. The personal recognizance bonds for each defendant were set at $50,000. Personal recognizance bonds are paid when defendants violate their bond conditions. The couple are due to appear ..read more

There are situations in which the use of a geofence warrant is appropriate. This is especially true in cold cases, where law enforcement has no other way to build a suspect list. But reverse-location services, another term for this type of warrant, also left many advocates in Michigan and elsewhere concerned about privacy and wrongful conviction. Google is done with geofence warrants Google made it official in a recent announcement that it will no longer accept these requests for information. The company has virtually killed the geofence warrant with one sweeping policy change concerning how a ..read more

If you are convicted of a felony drug charge in Michigan, you may experience a number of interruptions to your life. For instance, it may be harder to retain custody of your kids or find adequate housing. You may also have a harder time accessing federal programs aimed at helping low-income individuals feed themselves and their families. The programs you might lose access to The two programs that are often out of reach of those with convictions for felony drug crimes are the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). The SNAP program wa ..read more

Thousands of Michigan residents live with the burden of possessing a criminal record. A criminal record can make it extremely difficult to find a job and housing, leading many to struggle to re-acclimate after paying their debt to society. Criminal record expungements (and the related concept of record sealing) can offer a way forward for those convicted of past crimes, including felony drug crimes. But state authorities continue to work through tweaks to the process, some of which make it a frustrating and slow experience. What is a criminal record expungement? Nearly every state in the US of ..read more

The tax system allows businesses and individuals in Michigan to reduce their tax obligations under certain circumstances. Most retirement accounts represent a legal means for you to set aside money tax free, but you may also encounter other financial arrangements labeled as tax shelters. Due to the potential for people to set up financial structures that run afoul of tax laws, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and U.S. Treasury monitor the professionals running these tax shelters and the transactions that take place around them. Abusive tax shelters Federal authorities may call a tax shelter ..read more

Embezzlement is when someone misuses money or assets that were entrusted to them. The is a crime in Michigan, and the punishment depends on how much was embezzled. Any business or organization, including the Girl Scouts, can become a victim of embezzlement. Women charged with embezzling from Girl Scout troop Two Michigan women are accused of embezzling more than $20,000 from a Girl Scout troop in Ann Arbor. The women are 61-year-old Maryann Grace Churchwell and 60-year-old Lori Elleen Mross. The women served as Girl Scout troop leaders between June 2019 and February 2023. Police didn’t provide ..read more