Police investigating Detroit shooting as wife, kids seek help

Samir Hannawa rarely hesitated to help others in need.

Once, when his wife asked why he did it so often, the 50-year-old Iraqi native simply responded: "I can't help it."

"He could never deny someone," said his niece, Shennel Hannawa. "Even if he had very little to give, he would give it."

Now, his family is without his support and Crime Stoppers of Michigan is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for tips that lead to an arrest.

Last month, weeks shy of his 20th wedding anniversary, Hannawa was shot to death outside a repair shop on Detroit's west side.

Police have no suspects; meanwhile, his wife struggles to care for their seven children, who range in age from 2 to 19.

By Mark Hicks
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Cipriano expected to testify today over statements given after death of father

Pontiac — A man charged with first-degree murder in the baseball bat beating of his father in April is expected to testify Thursday in Oakland Circuit Court regarding whether statements made to police after his arrest were willing and voluntary, according to his attorney.

Tucker Cipriano, 19, and Mitchell Young, 20, are both charged in the beating death of Cipriano's father, Robert, and assault with intent to murder in the attacks on Robert Cipriano's wife, Rosemary, and son Salvatore, 17, in the April 16 home invasion.

"I want him to discuss his thoughts about what happened after he was arrested," said Mitchell Ribitwer, Cipriano's attorney. "There is a question on how statements were taken from Tucker, whether they were made willinging and voluntarily and also if he was properly advised of his (Miranda) rights. He said he told them he didn't want to talk but they continued the interview anyway. I think it should have stopped then.

By Mike Martindale
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Ferguson ex-worker: Boss bullied way to deals

City contractors felt forced to work with him, go-between says

Detroit — Bobby Ferguson was a foul-mouthed, paranoid bully willing to twist arms of fellow contractors and punish those who crossed his path, one of his former employees testified Wednesday.

Bernard Parker III, who acted as a business liaison for Ferguson and several companies identified as victims of the alleged extortion of Ferguson and former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, detailed multiple deals in which contractors felt forced to work with Ferguson or lose the work.

Parker, the son of a Wayne County commissioner by the same name, said Ferguson erupted in fall 2003 when an employee of Walbridge Aldinger sent Ferguson a letter complaining about demands on a $70 million sewer project. Former mayoral aide Derrick Miller pressured Parker to add Ferguson to the deal, Parker testified.

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Texts a powerful weapon for feds in Kilpatrick trial

Messages may be more reliable than some witnesses

Detroit — For all their success at chipping away at witnesses called to support claims that Kwame Kilpatrick cashed in on a corrupt City Hall, defense attorneys have had a recurring problem: text messages.

With few expecting Kilpatrick or contractor Bobby Ferguson to testify in their ongoing racketeering trial, their intimate conversations have provided jurors with a rare insight into their private actions. Tuesday might have been the worst day so far for the defense.

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Kilpatrick due in court today over book proceeds

Detroit — Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, facing racketeering charges in federal court Wednesday morning, is set to appear this afternoon in Wayne County Circuit Court for another hearing about the proceeds of his autobiography.

County officials confirmed the hearing last week, shortly after it was revealed Kilpatrick was late with a $500 restitution payment to the city. Authorities want to know more about the former mayor's finances — specifically, about the proceeds from the sales of his book, said Russ Marlan, Michigan Department of Corrections spokesman.

"There is some uncertainty about where all the money from the book sales has gone," Marlan said last week. "Kwame Kilpatrick has indicated he's received none of it. But books are being sold. People are paying for the book and money is going somewhere."

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Capitol protests marked by swings, sprays and 3 arrests

Lansing — Thousands of demonstrators who earlier in the day swarmed over the Capitol and its grounds to protest the state House's passage of right-to-work legislation were virtually all gone by this evening.

Both chambers were adjourned after a raucous day that led to three arrests, some protesters being pepper sprayed and the tent of a conservative group being torn down.

The two were detained after they tried to push past troopers to get inside the George Romney Building across from the Capitol where the governor has an office, State Police Capt. Harold Love told reporters. A third was arrested after not following trooper orders outside the Romney building.

By Serena Maria Daniels, Tony Briscoe and Susan Whitall
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Eight face felony charges after Thursday's right-to-work protest arrests

Lansing — The Ingham County Prosecutor's Office will file felony charges against eight people who tried to crash through a human barrier of police while protesting pending right-to-work legislation Thursday in the state capital.

In a Tuesday morning press release, Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III said he would charge the eight with "resisting and obstructing" after they tried to break through a line of Michigan State Police troopers to get into the Senate chamber.

"The First Amendment clearly states that the right of free speech is one of our most cherished liberties," Dunnings said.

"It was attested to me that these tactics went beyond passive resistance, and involved physical aggression towards the police … "

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Car crash reveals marijuana growing operation in Independence Twp.

Independence Township — A crash between two cars ended up with the arrest of a 26-year-old Independence Township man for growing and possessing marijuana in his home.

Oakland County Sheriff's Deputies were called to an address in the 500 block of Sunnyside Drive at about 10:30 p.m. Saturday after receiving reports of a crash between two vehicles.

One vehicle had careened off the road and struck the home, damaging its gas meter and requiring the meter's replacement by Consumers Energy.

Fearing a gas leak in the home, repairmen forced their way into the home along with members of the Independence Township Fire Department.

Once inside, they found a sophisticated marijuana growing operation in the basement.

Firefighters alerted the Oakland County Narcotics Enforcement team who arrived to confiscated 12 plants, four pounds of usable marijuana packed in 20 separate Mason jars, two digital scales, packaging materials and documents.

They also seized $221 in cash, a lap top computer and a marijuana growing manual.

The homeowner returned during the search process and was arrested. He is currently lodged in the Oakland County Jail.

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Prosecutors in Kilpatrick trial aim to fight defense claims over airport security

Detroit — Federal prosecutors strapped $90,000 to an FBI agent and had him go through Detroit Metropolitan Airport security 100 times to prove an alleged bagman could have flown across the country and delivered illicit money to Kwame Kilpatrick.

Prosecutors want to put the FBI agent on the witness stand in the City Hall corruption case to bolster testimony from a government witness, according to a federal court filing. They also want to fight defense claims that security measures — and common sense — make it unlikely courier Mahlon Clift delivered the cash to Kilpatrick in 2008.

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Feds: Businessman embezzled $3M from Detroit, Pontiac public pension funds

Detroit — A Georgia businessman was accused by federal prosecutors Friday of embezzling approximately $3 million from Detroit and Pontiac public pension funds — the latest criminal charge in a growing scandal that also has ensnared Kwame Kilpatrick's fraternity brother, ex-Detroit Treasurer Jeff Beasley.

Roy Dixon of Atlanta, Ga., was named in an indictment unsealed Friday in federal court. The indictment was not immediately available.

He is the latest person charged in a long-running FBI probe of Detroit City Hall corruption, which has led to convictions of two dozen people, including former Detroit Councilwoman Monica Conyers.

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Grandmother's fatal shooting trial is March

'Jail wearing on' devastated W. Bloomfield suspect accused in slaying of grandson

Pontiac — The health of the Oakland County grandmother charged with killing her teenage grandson has deteriorated while she's been in jail the past several months, her attorney said Thursday.

Sandra Layne, 74, of West Bloomfield Township was scheduled for trial March 4 on premeditated first-degree murder charges during a pretrial conference in Oakland County Circuit Court. She's accused of shooting grandson Jonathan Hoffman, 17, to death during an argument May 18 at her condominium, where he was staying with her.

"It's pretty clear jail is wearing on her — she loved him and is devastated by this," said her attorney, Jerome Sabbota. "She became mother and father to him. … She got herself into a bad situation (caring for the grandson).

"He was not, let's say, the all-American boy. He had issues."

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Witness insists he was extorted by Kilpatrick, Ferguson

Detroit — Key government witness Tony Soave, under fierce questioning from defense attorneys Thursday, never wavered from claims Kwame Kilpatrick strong-armed him into hiring the ex-mayor's pal and bankrolling a millionaire lifestyle.

The Grosse Pointe Farms businessman withstood almost four hours of cross-examination — a rarity in a case that has seen other witnesses crumple after claiming they were extorted by Kilpatrick, his father Bernard Kilpatrick or contractor Bobby Ferguson.

Soave, 72, calmly answered questions about his business empire, deflected questions about his tough reputation and cracked jokes about his mental state during a quip-filled stint on the witness stand.

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City contracts tied to favors, cash, trips

Detroit — A wealthy local contractor says he lavished former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick with gifts and free trips on a private jet to preserve his multi-million business dealings with the city.

Anthony Soave, the former owner of a water and sewer line repair company, told federal jurors Wednesday that he began helping Kilpatrick after the mayor "held up" a $50 million contract until Soave dumped one minority contractor and hired Kilpatrick's friend, contractor Bobby Ferguson.

Soave said he pressed Kilpatrick in April 2002 why his contract wasn't moving forward. It was finalized during the waning days of his predecessor, Mayor Dennis Archer.

Kilpatrick was blunt, Soave said: "He told me I had the wrong subcontractor. I asked him what the right one was. He told me Ferguson was the right one. I told him, 'OK, I'll make the change.'"

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Kilpatrick is due in court over finances

Authorities want to know more about proceeds from book

Detroit — Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, facing racketeering charges in federal court, is set to appear next week in Wayne County Circuit Court for another hearing about the proceeds of his autobiography.

County officials confirmed the hearing Wednesday, one day after it was revealed Kilpatrick was late with a $500 restitution payment to the city. Authorities want to know more about the former mayor's finances — specifically, about the proceeds from the sales of his book, said Russ Marlan, Michigan Department of Corrections spokesman.

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Kilpatrick narrowly dodges parole violation

Ex-mayor fails to pay restitution, questioned on community service

Detroit — A state prison official threatened to file parole violation charges against Kwame Kilpatrick because the former Detroit mayor had failed to prove he performed community service, The Detroit News has learned.

Kilpatrick also failed to pay $500 restitution to the city in November, an apparent violation of parole conditions imposed earlier this year amid concerns he was living beyond his means and hiding assets.

Interviews and public records indicate Kilpatrick is failing to comply with his parole, yet is receiving breaks from the state Department of Corrections. The News also learned Tuesday that Kilpatrick is being allowed to perform community service at a Texas megachurch that received more than $13,000 in donations from Kilpatrick years ago.

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Memory lapses mar Kado testimony

Changing story casts doubt on reliability in Kilpatrick case

Detroit — Karl Kado, one of federal prosecutors' star witnesses in their extortion case against former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, stumbled repeatedly Tuesday on details both small and large as he admitted his failing memory prompted him to tell federal agents he may have dementia.

Kado, who spent much of Monday confidently telling jurors how he gave Kilpatrick cash and gave more than $200,000 to his father Bernard to protect his contracting businesses at Cobo Center, cast doubt on his reliability as he contradicted himself repeatedly on cross-examination.

Over just a few minutes at the end of testimony Tuesday, Kado seemed to undo hours of prior testimony as he changed his story on how much he allegedly gave the Kilpatricks, about when he gave it, and why he did.

At first, he said one payout to Kwame Kilpatrick was after the 2001 election, and was adamant he did not give before, going so far as to say the notes of FBI agents who interviewed him were "wrong." Less than 30 minutes later, he said he did give Kilpatrick money during his campaign.

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Animal rights activist faces sentencing today for harassing WSU researcher

Detroit — An animal rights activist is expected to face sentencing Wednesday for using social media to harass a Wayne State University researcher and trespassing on university property.

Camille Marino of Wildwood, Fla., entered the plea in Wayne County Circuit Court last month to unlawful posting of a message with aggravating circumstances and trespassing.

Marino is accused of harassing Donal O'Leary, who does cardiovascular research involving animals at WSU.

O'Leary sought a personal protection order against Marino in October 2011 after she published his home address and comments about him on a "Negotiation is Over" blog and other Internet sites. The researcher subsequently received emails from animal rights activists, including Marino, that led him to fear for his safety.

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Convicted Detroit dad slams judge, disrupts court

Detroit — D'Andre Lane insisted Monday that he didn't murder or abuse his missing toddler daughter and called a judge a "liar" for ordering him to prison for life.

"My daughter is alive. She's missing, she will be found," Lane said in his plea to Wayne County Circuit Judge Vonda R. Evans before she imposed the sentence.

"It's easy to point the finger at me. We will correct every wrong that's taken place in this system," he added.

Lane, 33, of Detroit, was convicted in October of felony murder and child abuse in the Dec. 2, 2011, death of Bianca Jones. Prosecutors say the father of seven paddled the 2-year-old to death over a bed-wetting incident, disposed of her body at an incinerator and fabricated a carjacking to cover up the crime. Her body was never found.

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Kado testifies he paid big bribes to the Kilpatricks

Businessman tells court he felt like 'hostage at Cobo'

Detroit — Karl Kado offered an inside look at City Hall shakedowns Monday, telling a federal court he willingly paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, his father Bernard and others to keep multimillion-dollar contracts at Cobo Center.

Kado, 71, detailed how he first gave the money to keep food, cleaning and electrical contracts at Cobo — and then refused to continue. Eventually, he became a government witness whose cooperation led to 10 convictions.

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Detroit father given mandatory life in Bianca Jones murder case

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"I did not murder my child. I did not abuse my child," Lane said Monday, adding he was set up to “take the fall.” (David Coates/The Detroit News)

Detroit — A Detroit man convicted of fatally abusing his missing toddler was sentenced Monday to mandatory life in prison.

A Wayne County Circuit Court jury in October convicted 32-year-old D'Andre Lane of felony murder and child abuse in the Dec. 2, 2011, death of Bianca Jones.

Prosecutors say Lane paddled the 2-year-old to death over a bed-wetting incident, disposed of her body at an incinerator and fabricated a carjacking to cover up the crime.

"I did not murder my child. I did not abuse my child," Lane said Monday, adding he was set up to "take the fall."

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Conyers may soon leave prison

She is eligible for Dec. 10 release, move to halfway house to finish sentence for bribery

Detroit — Monica Conyers' stint at Camp Cupcake is almost fully baked.

The imprisoned ex-Detroit City Council president is expected to be released as early as Dec. 10 from a West Virginia federal prison dubbed Camp Cupcake because of its low security and mountainous setting.

The wife of U.S. Rep. John Conyers, D-Detroit, could move into a halfway house for six months while she finishes a 37-month sentence for bribery, said a source with knowledge of the situation.

The imminent return of one of the most polarizing politicians in recent Detroit history triggered speculation about Conyers' future.

"She has no political base, and nobody is expecting or looking forward to her coming back and getting into the political arena," said political strategist Eric Foster of Foster McCollum White & Associates in Troy. "She's a toxic asset."

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Detroit father to be sentenced in Bianca Jones murder case today

Detroit — A father who prosecutors say faked a carjacking to cover up the slaying of his 2-year-old daughter faces sentencing Monday for first-degree murder and child abuse.

A jury convicted 32-year-old D'Andre Lane of Detroit on Oct. 12. The law requires Wayne County Circuit Judge Vonda Evans to sentence him to life in prison without possibility of parole on the murder charge.

Lane told police that daughter Bianca Jones was in the back seat of his car in Detroit's North End neighborhood on Dec. 2, 2011, when the vehicle was taken at gunpoint. The car was found less than an hour later, but the girl was no longer inside.

Bianca's body has never been found.

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Kwame Kilpatrick on trial - and on patrol thwarting break-in

Kwame Kilpatrick may be on trial, but he's apparently taken to policing the streets of Detroit.

The former Detroit mayor tweeted Wednesday that he prevented a crime when a would-be thief recognized him and stopped to ask for his photo.

But his own ongoing experience with the law apparently had Kilpatrick exercising some legal leniency.

In town for his ongoing federal racketeering trial in U.S. District Court, Kilpatrick tweeted that he caught a guy breaking into a house on the same street as his mother's, former U.S. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick.

By Marisa Schultz
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Police: Meth lab at law office; attorney charged in West Michigan

Wayland — A criminal defense attorney faces multiple drug charges months after authorities found a methamphetamine lab in his law office down the street from a West Michigan police station.

Patrick Burson, 35, was free Thursday on bond after a video arraignment Wednesday from the Allegan County Jail on four counts of operating/maintaining a methamphetamine lab and two possession of methamphetamine counts.

Burson, 28-year-old Polly Gates and 36-year-old Sherry Cunningham turned themselves in Wednesday to the Allegan County sheriff's office.

Members of the West Michigan Enforcement Team executed search warrants June 13 at Burson's Otsego home and his office in downtown Wayland, about 20 miles south of Grand Rapids.

Methamphetamine labs and production components were found at both locations, according to Michigan State Police.

Cash also was seized.

The Allegan County prosecutor has recused himself and the case was turned over to the Berrien County prosecutor's office.

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Family: Grosse Pointe Woods man found fatally shot, not hanged

Grosse Pointe Woods — As police investigate a 54-year-old man found dead in his home on Monday as a homicide, his family is adamantly denying reports the man was found hanged from the ceiling by an electrical cord.

Donald DeWulf was lying on a bathroom floor of the home on 2000 block of Hampton Road, said his brother, Michael DeWulf, who discovered the body at 9:40 a.m. Monday. Michael DeWulf and authorities both said Donald DeWulf had been fatally shot.

"That just doesn't make sense," said Michael DeWulf, who said he saw a bullet casing on the floor but no gun. "To shoot and hang yourself both? He was on the floor with blood all around. At first, I thought he had fallen.

"I do believe my brother's death was a homicide, not a suicide."

Michael DeWulf said his brother sold insurance and often carried large amounts of cash because he collected premiums directly.

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Suspect tells cops he stole school bus to start rap group in Detroit

A would-be rapper's burgeoning musical career hit a snag last week, when police pulled him over in the school bus he allegedly stole from the west side of the state so he could drive to Detroit to record music, according to a release issued by police Tuesday.

Washtenaw County sheriff's deputies arrested Josiah Daniel Curtis, 25, of Grand Rapids at about 10 a.m. on Thanksgiving after receiving a call reporting that someone was driving a school bus erratically on eastbound 94 near Zeeb Road in the Ann Arbor area.

"We had a unit nearby, and they saw the bus swerving and weaving," Washtenaw County Sheriff Sgt. Geoffrey Fox said. "When we stopped (it), he told us he was headed to Detroit to work on some music."

By George Hunter
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Appeals panel considers Tamara Greene case

Judges appear open to some arguments by family's lawyer, one 'puzzled' by its dismissal

Cincinnati — After seven years and thousands of pages of documents, the $150 million civil case brought by the family of a slain stripper against the city of Detroit and former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick may have come down to less than an hour of legal jousting before a three-judge appellate panel on Tuesday.

Norman Yatooma, the attorney for the family of Tamara "Strawberry" Greene, gave a spirited defense of an appeal he hopes will overturn a Detroit federal judge's 2011 ruling that tossed the case, in part because of a lack of evidence.

And the appellate judges seemed receptive to some of Yatooma's arguments, with one saying he was "puzzled" by Chief U.S. District Judge Gerald Rosen's decision to rule that the city destroyed evidence sought in the case yet then dismiss it for a lack of evidence.

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AG takes on I-96 shootings case

3 counties combine prosecution; Oakland to handle own case

Lansing — Attorney General Bill Schuette's office will handle prosecution of a Wixom man suspected in a string of shootings along the Interstate 96 corridor in three counties.

Schuette's office said Tuesday that prosecutors in Ingham, Livingston and Shiawassee counties requested assistance from the attorney general's criminal division in the prosecution of the suspected shooter, 43-year-old Raulie Casteel.

In statements released by Schuette's office, the other three prosecutors said a single prosecution was the best strategy for handling a case that involved a frantic manhunt that covered numerous police jurisdictions.

"It will provide a consistent approach to the case that is not possible with multiple jurisdictions handling multiple cases," Livingston County Prosecutor David Morse said.

By Chad Livengood
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Authorities: Reed City teacher faces charges in sex case

Reed City — A teacher has been arrested after authorities say she had a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old boy.

The Morning Sun of Mount Pleasant and MLive.com report the 32-year-old woman from Evart worked for the Mecosta-Osceola County Intermediate School District and taught at a school southeast of Reed City. Authorities say she was arrested Monday and due in court on Tuesday.

Her name wasn't immediately released, pending arraignment on felony charges of third-degree criminal sexual conduct. Police say the boy involved is a student.

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Shoplifting kicks off for season

Southfield — Fewer people in Michigan are using the five-finger discount, according to police reports — but experts warn an uptick is forecast for the holiday shopping season.

"Typically, there's a spike in shoplifting and shoplifting arrests during the holidays," said Terrence Shulman, founder and director of the Shulman Center for Compulsive Theft, Spending and Hoarding in Franklin.

BY CHARLES E. RAMIREZ
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Metro man accused of scams from here to Qatar

Businessman flees U.S., leaving former partners, feds to recover funds

A former Canton Township businessman, whose failed business deals led to federal charges against him and legal malpractice accusations against Turkia Mullin, is now accused of far larger frauds a world away.

Abdulla al-Jufairi, 47, left the United States before he was charged in a Small Business Association loan scandal that cost taxpayers some $26 million. Now, he's accused of triggering more than $100 million in losses on failed business deals in Qatar, former associates say.

"His schemes have grown to a grand scale," said Donald A. Jordan, an attorney who left Metro Detroit in 2004 to work with al-Jufairi in Qatar. Jordan has distanced himself from al-Jufairi and recently moved back to Novi.

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'Closure' vowed as Sterling Heights man is charged in Backpage.com slayings

Sterling Heights — Vowing "closure" for the victims' families, the Macomb County prosecutor has filed murder charges against a Sterling Heights man accused of mutilating and transporting four corpses last December.

James Cornelius Brown, 34, was arraigned Monday on four counts of first-degree murder, said Prosecutor Eric Smith. If convicted, Brown faces up to life in prison.

In June, authorities charged Brown with four counts of disinterment and mutilation of a dead body, a 10-year felony, as well as two arson counts.

Police say on Dec. 19, Brown placed the bodies of two women in the trunk of a car in Sterling Heights, drove it to Detroit and then abandoned the vehicle.

Six days later, he did the same thing with the bodies of two other women, officials said. On that occasion, however, he set fire to the car and part of a home near where it was parked on Lannette Street.

By Charles E. Ramirez
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WSU issues crime alert after attempted sexual assault

Detroit — For the second time in a month, there has been an attempted sexual assault of a female at Wayne State University.

The university issued a crime alert after a 25-year-old student said she was attacked last week while walking up a stairwell at the Old Main building, located at Cass Avenue and Hancock Street.

According to the WSU campus police, the attacked occurred at about 8:40 p.m. Thursday with the victim reporting the incident to police on Saturday.

The victim told police a man walking down the stairwell attempted to pull down her sweatpants. She kicked him in the groin then ran and locked herself in a nearby restroom.

Police said the woman — who was uninjured — called friends who came to her aid.

The victim described her attacker as a heavyset male in his 40s, 6-feet-tall with a goatee and grey hair. He was wearing a black skull cap, red hoodie sweatshirt and blue jeans.

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Feds say Justice Hathaway defrauded bank of $600,000

Civil complaint claims she hid assets in effort to avoid mortgage debt

Lansing — The U.S. government is seeking forfeiture of Michigan Supreme Court Justice Diane Hathaway's posh second home in suburban Orlando, Fla., claiming she and her husband hid the asset to defraud a bank and escape $600,000 in mortgage debt.

U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade's civil complaint filed Monday claims the justice and her husband, attorney Michael Kingsley, "systematically and fraudulently transferred property and hid assets in order to support their claim to (ING Direct) that they did not have the financial resources to pay the mortgage on the Michigan property."

News of the complaint, first reported Tuesday on detroitnews.com, came as Hathaway and her attorney spent the day tamping down rumors she's going to resign from the high court because of an FBI investigation of her real estate transactions.

The federal complaint alleges Hathaway and Kingsley engaged in bank fraud and money laundering, but neither has been charged criminally.

"It doesn't mean that she will be charged with any crime but it does say that this property (was obtained as) a result of criminal conduct," said Peter Henning, a former federal prosecutor who handled bank fraud cases.

By Chad Livengood
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Feds probe alleged kickbacks, contracts at Detroit Public Library

Detroit — The FBI is investigating kickback allegations involving a top official of the financially strapped Detroit Public Library, The Detroit News has learned.

Public corruption agents conducted simultaneous raids Tuesday, removing records from the office of chief administrative officer Tim Cromer at the system's main branch and conducting a search of his West Bloomfield Township home, two sources with knowledge of the raids said.

The raid lasted a few hours and followed a slew of controversies — detailed in a series of stories by The News — over allegations of mismanagement, nepotism and cost overruns. Among other things, the library bought chairs and trash cans that cost $1,100 apiece around the time it laid off employees, closed branches and shortened hours.

By Christine MacDonald and Joel Kurth
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Detroit man accused of cyber stalking New York girls

Buffalo, N.Y. — A Michigan man is accused of stalking western New York teenage girls online.

U.S. Attorney William Hochul tells the Buffalo News that at least 10 people were victimized in the largest cyber stalking case ever seen in the region. James Allen of Detroit faces felony charges of cyber stalking, trafficking in computer passwords and making harassing phone calls.

He appeared in Buffalo federal court last week.

Court papers depict Allen as a predator who targeted girls as young as 14 by using Internet-related technology to identify and contact them. He's accused of threatening to send out nude pictures of them if they didn't agree to Skype video chats. Authorities don't believe he really had any pictures.

Allen's defense lawyer declined to comment for the Buffalo News story.


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Contractor stumped on stand in Kilpatrick, Ferguson corruption trial

Contractor recalls taunts but few details of own firm

Detroit — Thomas Hardiman, a construction contractor who has testified that he grudgingly joined forces with Bobby Ferguson in order to win multimillion-dollar city water contracts, said Wednesday that Ferguson could be blunt whenever Hardiman failed to grant Ferguson's wishes.

"You're an idiot," Ferguson would tell Hardiman. "I'm not going to talk with you."

Ferguson warned Hardiman that he would take his concerns to Avinash Rachmale, the head of Lakeshore Engineering Services, for whom Hardiman worked.

Although Hardiman's recollection was drawn out by federal prosecutor Mark Chutkow, it seemed for much of Tuesday and Wednesday that Hardiman was intent on proving Ferguson's alleged observation, undercutting his testimony that Ferguson was a contracting bully who cashed in on his cache with then-Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.

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Two employees at Macy's in Troy accused of gift-card fraud

Troy — The holiday shopping and shoplifting season has begun, local malls report, and some of the theft is apparently being done by store employees.

In the past week, two workers at Macy's on West Big Beaver Road have been arrested for embezzlement after investigations found they were using their jobs to illegally enrich themselves with store gift cards, according to police.

Tuesday, a 26-year-old Sterling Heights man employed at the store was arrested after it was found he had loaded $520 onto gift cards without paying for the cards, which were used to buy store merchandise, according to police.

On Nov. 10, a 19-year-old Detroit woman was arrested after it was found she had loaded $700 on a Macy's gift card without putting any money in the register, authorities said. The woman had used the card to purchase clothing and a purse, according to police.

By Mike Martindale
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Feds investigate Detroit cops' role in sex club

Probe looks into whether on-duty Detroit officers served as drivers

Detroit — Federal authorities are investigating allegations on-duty Detroit Police officers provided limousine service for patrons of a sex club that operated in the shadow of the police department's Central District headquarters, police sources told The News.

Federal investigators questioned Detroit police officials recently about a group of officers possibly providing limousine services at the former Forest Club, a swingers' club at 300 E. Milwaukee St. in New Center, about 1,000 feet from the Central District, said the sources familiar with the investigation.

"The feds were asking me about a group of officers who supposedly were giving limo service to people at this sex club while they were on duty," one Detroit police official said. "The big sticking point they were concentrating on was whether the officers were on-duty when they were driving people to and from this club."

By George Hunter
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Off-duty Detroit cop shoots teen who tried to carjack him

Detroit — The attempted carjacking of an off-duty Detroit police officer ended badly for a teenage suspect, who was wounded during the attempt.

Sgt. Eren Stephens said the incident happened at about 11:50 p.m. in the 15400 block of St. Mary's Street, in an area east of the Southfield Freeway and west of Greenfield Road, between Puritan and Fenkell roads.

The male victim — a 13-year-veteran of the department — exited his vehicle and found himself suddenly blocked in by an SUV holding three suspects.

Armed with a handgun, one of the men exited and demanded the victim's keys.

By Tom Greenwood
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Suspect in Detroit pension fund surrenders

Detroit — A fugitive businesswoman accused of stealing $5 million from a Detroit pension fund — and blowing the cash on exotic art and jewelry — turned herself in Tuesday, ending an eight-month manhunt stretching from Detroit to the Caribbean.

Teresa Kastanes was escorted off the plane by agents from the Office of Homeland Security at 5:43 a.m. after flying from Managua, Nicaragua, to Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The South Carolina woman is being transported to a federal court in Fort Lauderdale where she will make an appearance in front of a bankruptcy judge later Tuesday, her lawyer told The Detroit News on Monday.

By Robert Snell
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Family: Veteran who shot cop was gravely ill

Southfield — The man who walked into the Southfield police station Sunday and shot an officer before being killed by return fire had no known motive but was very ill, family members and authorities said Monday.

Police identified the man as Harold Joseph Collins, 64, a military veteran, and said he used a .380-caliber handgun.

"Based on the behavior of this individual, it is my opinion, and the opinion of investigating officers, that this person was struggling with some very serious internal issues," Southfield Police Chief Eric Hawkins said Monday at a news conference.

Collins' family said he had suffered for years from throat cancer and had been "very sick."

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Officer shot at Southfield police department

Southfield - A police officer was shot Sunday afternoon after a man walked into the Southfield Police Department and opened fire, according to police and fire officials.

The suspect, a 64-year-old Southfield man, was dead on arrival at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, police said.

The officer, who was shot in the shoulder, is in stable condition at Providence Southfield in Southfield. He is expected to make a full recovery.

The shooting happened around 2:20 p.m. when the suspect walked into the police department on Evergreen near the Lodge Freeway, said Southfield Police Chief Eric Hawkins.

By Christine MacDonald and Leonard N. Fleming
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Suspect in I-96 shootings faces 60 charges

Novi — A Wixom man was charged Friday with 60 offenses, including assault with intent to murder, related to nine separate roadway shooting incidents in Oakland County last month.

Raulie Wayne Casteel, 43, stood mute to the charges in a video arraignment from the Livingston County Jail, where he has been held since Wednesday, because of similar charges involving a single shooting incident in that county. Investigators believe he is responsible for 24 separate shootings.

Casteel seemed calm and alert and waived his right to a full reading of the charges against him on his attorney's advice that they would discuss them later. Casteel told District Judge Dennis Powers he understood all the charges against him.

Powers declined to set bond on the assault with intent to murder charge, which can carry up to life in prison.

By Mike Martindale
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CMU Internet censorship expert charged with child porn

Mount Pleasant — A professor whose research focuses on Internet censorship and the use of children in advertising has been charged with having child pornography on his Central Michigan University computer, the school announced Thursday.

The school said it suspended William L. Merrill on Monday and barred him from the campus in Mount Pleasant.

"We take this matter very seriously and have strict policies against this kind of conduct," Sherry Knight, a university interim associate vice president, said in a statement. "From the astute employees who discovered and reported the materials immediately, to the police who acted swiftly and continue to investigate this matter, our goal is to ensure the safety of our campus community and beyond."

The Associated Press left phone and email messages Thursday night for Merrill, a 58-year-old tenured faculty member in the College of Education and Human Services.

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I-96 shootings suspect arraigned in 1 Livingston County case

Howell — A Wixom man was charged Wednesday with committing one of the 24 roadway shootings that terrorized Metro Detroit motorists, and authorities say more charges are likely to follow.

Raulie Wayne Casteel, 43, of Wixom was formally charged by video arraignment from jail before 53rd District Judge Carol Sue Reader with six counts in connection with a shooting at 2:43 p.m. Oct. 18 on westbound Interstate 96 near mile marker 135, Livingston County Prosecutor David Morse said.

"This incident we are charging arises out of a single incident ... there are additional charges pending in Oakland, Ingham and Shiawassee counties," Morse told reporters after the arraignment. "There were statements taken from individuals which led to these charges."

In the Oct. 18 incident — one of 24 random shootings investigators believe Casteel is responsible for — the intended victim, Jennifer Kupiec, gave police a description of the vehicle, the shooter and a partial number off a Michigan State University vanity plate.

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Ex-Detroit treasurer implicated in pay-to-play

Kilpatrick associate allegedly sought $100K for city favors

Detroit — Former Detroit treasurer Jeff Beasley allegedly shook down an Alabama billionaire for a $100,000 donation to Kwame Kilpatrick's legal defense fund during a dinner at the MGM Grand Detroit casino, according to a new federal court filing.

The filing offers a first-person view of an alleged extortion demand by the former mayor's fraternity brother, who was charged in February with taking bribes and kickbacks while serving on the city's pension funds.

"Based on his look and what he said and his tone, it was a demand," businessman Donald Watkins said, according to a July deposition transcript obtained by The Detroit News. "I felt like I was being extorted."

The filing Monday adds previously undisclosed details to pay-to-play allegations aired in a civil lawsuit involving two Detroit pension funds and Watkins.

Beasley's lawyer did not respond to messages seeking comment.

The city's two pension funds sued Watkins in 2008 to recover $30 million loaned to him a year earlier to buy a cargo airline.

By Robert Snell
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Ex-Livonia doctor imprisoned for fraud

5 years, $3M in restitution ordered for Medicare scheme

Detroit — A former staff physician for three Livonia medical clinics will serve five years in prison for his role in a $5.4 million Medicare fraud scheme, the U.S. Attorney's Office said Wednesday.

Jonathan Agbebiyi, 63, of Sterling Heights, was sentenced Tuesday in the U.S. District Court's Eastern District for his role in the scam. The doctor was convicted in May of six counts of health care fraud and one count of conspiracy.

U.S. District Judge Arthur J. Tarnow also ordered Agbebiyi to pay nearly $3 million in restitution and ruled he'll be on supervised release following his prison term.

Agbebiyi was a staff physician at Blessed Medical Clinic, Alpha and Omega Medical Clinic and Manuel Medical Clinic, which operated in Livonia between 2007 and 2010.

Agbebiyi, an obstetrician/gynecologist, joined a conspiracy to bill Medicare for unnecessary neurological tests, according to evidence presented during his weeklong trial.

By Christine Ferretti
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Wixom man arrested in I-96 shooting spree; relative says suspect is mentally ill

Wixom — A 43-year-old Wixom man was arrested Monday in connection with the roadway shootings along the Interstate 96 corridor that have terrorized commuters since mid-October.

The man, identified by a relative as Raulie Casteel, was arrested at his home on Kings Crown Court on Monday night. He had not been formally charged as of Tuesday evening.

The suspect owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu that matches a description provided by one of the victims, and police said the vehicle was an important piece of the investigation.

"We believe this person is responsible for the shootings, and it's only a matter of determining what charges, either state or federal," said Wixom Police Chief Clarence Goodlein. He believes the suspect will be charged today.

By Tom Greenwood, Mike Martindale and Christine MacDonald
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Ex-Detroit water boss Mercado enters guilty plea

Detroit — A surprise guilty plea Monday from former Detroit water boss Victor Mercado streamlines and shortens a complex City Hall corruption trial against ex-Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, legal experts said.

The plea came during a break in the 6-week-old trial and lets prosecutors focus their case on Kilpatrick, the biggest target of a years-long federal probe that has netted at least 24 felony convictions.

A slump-shouldered, gaunt Mercado, 61, admitted Monday he conspired with Kilpatrick to steer city contracts to the mayor's friend and co-defendant, contractor Bobby Ferguson. Mercado is not cooperating with prosecutors and is not expected to testify during the trial.

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Person of interest in custody in I-96 shooting spree case

Wixom — Authorities said Tuesday a person of interest is in custody in the Interstate 96 corridor shooting spree case.

Investigators executed a search warrant at a home in Wixom on Monday, they said. A tip led authorities to serve a search warrant on a home on the 1500 block of Kings Crown Court in Wixom on Monday as part of the ongoing investigation.

Before closing the door, a man living in the home told media on Tuesday, including The Detroit News, that “my daughter and her daughter have suffered a terrible tragedy. Please respect our privacy.”

By Tom Greenwood
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Probe to see if sex club tip ignored

Report said 'Forest' illegally sold alcohol, had cops as security

Detroit — A Detroit Police internal affairs investigation has been launched to determine whether supervisors failed to act two years ago when a lieutenant reported that officers might be working for a sex club that illegally sold alcohol two blocks from Central District headquarters.

Police allegedly didn't follow up on an Eastern District lieutenant's 2010 written report that the Forest Club at 300 Milwaukee in New Center — a swinger's club that featured a sex dungeon in the basement — likely was selling alcohol without a license, and that police officers possibly were providing security there.

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Officials seek I-96 shootings witness

Surveillance photos show 'person of interest,' his car

Wixom — Authorities released surveillance photos Friday of a man they want to speak to as a "potential witness" in a series of at least 24 shootings along the Interstate 96 corridor.

Investigators issued the blurry images of the bald man, dressed in a light-colored T-shirt, plus a photo of a black four-door sedan seen at a Mobil gas station in Brighton on Oct. 27.

Wixom Police Chief Clarence Goodlein said the "person of interest" was brought to the attention of investigators after he was spotted at the gas station at Spencer Road and U.S. 23 the same day two shootings were reported on eastbound I-96 between M-52 and Fowlerville Road.

One of those shootings wounded a 46-year-old man.

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Detroit pension fund fires lawyer linked to man investigated by FBI

Detroit — A city pension fund on Thursday fired its longtime lawyer, who was accused of soliciting large cash gifts for indicted ex-Detroit Treasurer Jeff Beasley and other pension officials months before getting a 33 percent pay increase.

The Detroit Police and Fire Pension Fund board voted 7-5 to fire Ron Zajac amid an investigation involving the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office.

"The board has taken this action after lengthy, careful and deliberate consideration," pension fund members said in a written statement. "Given that this is a personnel matter, we have no further comment at this time."

The move comes eight months after Zajac was suspended with pay following Beasley's indictment in federal court.

The lawyer's criminal defense attorney said he was surprised by the move because Zajac's contract doesn't expire until June 2014.

Defense attorney Christopher Andreoff said he believes the board needed a unanimous vote to fire Zajac, who was paid $425,000 annually to represent the Police and Fire and General pension funds.

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Detroit cop accuses Godbee of sex harassment

Lawsuit says former chief targeted several female officers

A Detroit Police internal affairs officer claims in a lawsuit she was one of several subordinate female officers to be sexually harassed by former Police Chief Ralph Godbee.

Godbee resigned last month after news of his alleged relationship with Officer Angelica Robinson surfaced.

She alleges in the suit, filed Tuesday in Wayne Circuit Court, that Godbee used his position as chief to gain sexual favors with her after she requested a transfer, her lawyer said.

"We intend to show that there are other females in the police department he's done this with," said David Robinson, who isn't related to his client. "(Godbee) made a serious error in judgment. This has been going on for a long time; the chickens have come home to roost. He messed up, bottom line."

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Three charged in Detroit riverboat shootings headed to court today

Detroit — A judge is scheduled Friday to decide whether to bind over for trial three people who were allegedly involved in a family dispute aboard a riverboat that ended with six shooting victims.

Latoiya Mitchell-Thomas, 28, her husband, Michael A. Thomas, 32, both of Roseville, and LaDon Richard of Detroit, are charged with various offenses in connection with the Aug. 6 shooting, which occurred when passengers disembarked the Detroit Princess riverboat cruise.

Prosecutors say Mitchell-Thomas and her husband had an argument with a woman while onboard the Hot 107.5 "On Deck Sunday" Moonlight Cruise, which was attended by about 500 people. Thomas allegedly slapped the woman in the face and flung a bottle at her. A fight broke out on the boat, according to prosecutors.

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8 teens shot in week in Detroit

Ex-officer says lack of jobs contributes to the violence

Detroit — The city has averaged more than one teenage shooting victim per day during the past week.

Among the victims: a 17-year-old girl who was found lying on the ground in daylight suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, two 16-year-old boys wounded in separate robberies; and an 18-year-old who was robbed and shot after he got off a city bus.

There were at least eight youths — age 18 or younger — shot between 6 a.m. Oct. 25 and 6 a.m. Tuesday, according to the Detroit Police's 24-hour Major Crime Summary reports. None died.

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Investigation: I-96 shooter likely using semi-automatic handgun

A multi-agency task force searching for a suspect in a series of shootings along Interstate 96 says that based on bullet fragments recovered from the scenes, the shooter is most likely using a semi-automatic handgun.

Oakland County Undersheriff Mike McCabe said Thursday that evidence was recovered from nine of the 24 vehicles shot on Michigan roadways. All nine have been traced back to one gun, which he said is a handgun.

The shootings began Oct. 16 and have been reported in Oakland, Livingston, Ingham and Shiawassee counties, resulting in one person being wounded with nonlife-threatening injuries.

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Asian Village restaurant owner gets year in prison

Tax evasion sentence reduced over help with City Hall probe

Detroit — Convicted Asian Village restaurant owner Andrew Park, who helped bring corruption charges against ex-mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, was sentenced to one year and a day in prison Wednesday on a tax-evasion charge.

He had faced up to 30 months, but Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gardey recommended a 16-month sentence because of the substantial cooperation Park gave City Hall corruption investigators.

Park was ordered to pay $301,988 in restitution and serve two years' supervised release.

A solemn Park on Wednesday admitted paying a bribe to ex-Kilpatrick aide Derrick Miller in hopes of securing city business.

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Child killer case now a battle in Oakland County's political arena

As the star in the TV ad supporting Mike Bishop's run against incumbent Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper, Barry King could not be a more sympathetic figure.

Dressed in a suit and tie, King says to the camera: "I am the 81-year-old father of the last victim of the Oakland County child killer. It's been 35 years, and we still don't know who killed Tim. When Jessica Cooper took office, she refused to talk to my family. She even took me to court and falsely accused me of a felony. … If it was your child, we believe you would join us in opposing Jessica Cooper."

Last week, King again sought to harness the court of public opinion against Cooper, the self-described "legal arm" of the task force investigating the abduction and murder of four children in 1976 and 1977.

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FBI reportedly investigates Michigan Supreme Court justice

Hathaway's real estate transactions questioned

Detroit — The FBI is investigating real estate transactions Michigan Supreme Court Justice Diane Hathaway made last year that allowed her to drop nearly $600,000 in mortgage debt on a $1.5 million Lake St. Clair home, sources familiar with the investigation told The Detroit News.

Sources said the probe was launched after news reports in May revealed Hathaway and her husband, trial attorney Michael Kingsley, transferred at least two of their homes to relatives before a bank allowed them to unload the home on Lakeview Court in Grosse Pointe Park in a November 2011 short sale.

The FBI tried to reach out to Hathaway's family through interviews, said a source close to the investigation.

Real estate experts and the Democratic Party-nominated justice's Republican political opponents have questioned whether Hathaway and Kingsley hid assets and committed mortgage fraud after the two homes were returned to the couple shortly after the short sale.

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Man painted as mastermind in slayings of Hamtramck women

Detroit — An assistant prosecutor on Tuesday portrayed Brandon Cain as the mastermind behind the plot to have his ex-girlfriend Ashley Conaway killed along with her best friend, Abreeya Brown.

"It is impossible to find the words of the horror, the terror ..., the mental torture they suffered as they were driven around knowing they were going to be murdered," Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Molly Kettler said during opening arguments in the trial of four men for the abduction, torture and murder of the women.

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Authorities pull over dozens of cars in hunt for I-96 shooter

Authorities have pulled over dozens of cars Tuesday in Livingston County in ongoing efforts to catch a shooter terrorizing the Interstate 96 corridor.

Livingston County Sheriff Bob Bezotte said authorities have received plenty of tips throughout the day with some citizens writing down license plate numbers as authorities pursue a suspect who has allegedly shot at least 25 moving vehicles on roadways in Ingham, Livingston, Shiawassee and Oakland counties.

"It's encouraging that we're getting this much of a response from the public," he said.

Deputies have followed up on many of the tips, while pulling over several vehicles matching the suspect's black or dark-colored Chevrolet Cavalier or Oldsmobile Alero.

"We've pulled 30 or 40 cars today, anything that closely matches the description," Bezotte said. "No arrests, though."


By Tony Briscoe
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Kwame Kilpatrick: I'm never coming back to Detroit

Detroit — Kwame Kilpatrick has disavowed his ties to the Motor City and doesn't plan on moving back, according to the former mayor's emails obtained by The Detroit News.

The emails cement Kilpatrick's split from the city that fueled his political rise and reveals claims that he is concerned about his safety in Detroit while standing trial on racketeering charges.

"I am a Texas resident…I have no intentions of ever residing here again," Kilpatrick wrote in a Sept. 13 email to his parole agent obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. "I'm often thought of as a Detroiter, but I am not. My life, family and residency is in Texas."

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Feds join probe of roadway shootings; $102K reward offered

The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have joined an investigation into a series of vehicle shootings, signaling an increased effort and a reward of more than $102,000 to solve a case that's terrorizing motorists across several counties, The Detroit News has learned.

A news conference with officials from both federal agencies is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Monday at the Wixom Police Department.

The development comes hours after Michigan State Police confirmed that a vehicle was hit by a projectile near the Interstate 96 corridor Monday morning.

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I-96 shooter strikes again, 1 driver wounded in Fowlerville

Two vehicles were shot, leaving one person wounded on eastbound I-96 in Fowlerville on Saturday, and authorities believe the shooter responsible for 22 other shootings on Michigan highways and roadways has struck again.

An 18-year-old Canton man, who was driving eastbound with an 18-year-old female passenger from Plymouth, called 911 at 11:52 a.m. Saturday reporting that their vehicle had been shot, leaving both rear windows shattered.

Another vehicle was struck at 12:19 p.m. The bullet traveled through the vehicle's seat and hit the lone occupant, a Grand Rapids man, in the buttock.

Sheriff's officials said the injured man is a 46-year-old from Delton. WHMI-FM reported he was traveling from the Grand Rapids area to Detroit to watch the Tigers play the San Francisco Giants in Game 3 of the World Series on Saturday night.

He was treated at the scene and then taken to St. Joseph Mercy Livingston Hospital in Livingston County. He was listed in stable condition Saturday night.

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Nervous drivers on alert after new I-96 shootings

Fowlerville — While authorities hunt for the Interstate 96 freeway shooter, worried motorists say they're on alert and, in some cases, avoiding the section of the freeway where an eastbound driver was wounded Saturday.

Fowlerville resident Amber Sherill said Sunday she has taken to driving alternate routes out of fear of the freeway shooter.

"It freaks me out," she said. "Just the randomness … no rhyme or no reason."

In the latest incident, shots were fired Saturday at two vehicles on eastbound I-96 in Fowlerville. One of the drivers, a west Michigan man, was wounded in the buttocks and hospitalized.

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Police deny there's a serial killer, but Detroiters hold vigil for victims

Detroit — Becky Dorie didn't want to believe rumors about a serial killer targeting women near Patton Park in her southwest Detroit neighborhood. But it spurred the mother of eight to patrol almost nightly with a community group in hopes of protecting the area.

"We're hoping to get our streets back," she said. "We're fighting to get this crime under control."

Despite what police are saying — that the tales of rape and murder aren't true — Dorie joined about 50 residents Thursday night for a candlelight vigil at the park to highlight what they are calling the recent spate of violence.

Some neighbors say authorities are ignoring the violence, but police insist rumors have spun out of control.

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Father arraigned on open murder charge in 3-month-old's death

Defense lawyer: There may be another suspect

Troy — A Troy father was charged Thursday with open murder in the death of his 3-month old daughter this week, but his attorney says someone else could have killed the girl.

Kenneth Michael Little, 25, stood with shackles on his wrists and ankles in 52-4 District Court as a judge arraigned him on the murder charge and an alternative charge of involuntary manslaughter.

Little, wearing jeans and a T-shirt, faintly answered questions from Judge Kirsten Nielsen Hartig, who refused to set bond for him.

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Detroit teen faces sentencing in shooting death of mom

Detroit — A 14-year-old boy who pleaded guilty last month to charges he fatally shot his mother in February while she slept on the couch of the family's east side home will face sentencing Friday.

Joshua Smith, who is charged as an adult, entered the plea to charges of second-degree murder and felony firearm before Wayne County Circuit Judge Bruce Morrow as his trial was set to start.

Smith, who had been charged with first-degree murder in the killing of Tamiko Andrea Robinson, is expected to receive 25 to 50 years in prison under the agreement, and a mandatory two years for the firearm conviction, prosecutors said.

Robinson's fiance, Chiko Lewis, testified at Smith's preliminary examination in March that he was asleep in a back bedroom of the home in the 5700 block of Burns on Feb. 27 when he heard gunshots.

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Man charged in slaying of uncle on Detroit's west side

Detroit — A 28-year-old man is being charged in the slaying of his uncle on the city's west side last weekend, police announced Wednesday.

Mark Williams was arraigned Tuesday on felony charges of first-degree murder, felon in possession of a firearm and felony firearms.

Bond was denied. His next court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday.

Police said Williams was visiting relatives at a home in the 6600 block of Sparta about 8:40 p.m. Saturday when he started arguing with his uncle, Robert Williams, 46.

After Mark Williams left, police said, "he fired shots into the dwelling, striking Mr. Williams, who has died from the injuries."

Detroit Police Homicide investigators requested help from the Detroit Fugitive Apprehension Team to find and arrest Williams.

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1 dead, 3 wounded in shooting on Detroit's northwest side

Detroit — One man was killed Wednesday afternoon and three other people were wounded, including a 4-year-old boy, in a shooting on the city's northwest side.

According to family of the victims, a group of men passed by a house on the 5100 block of Webb Street and then circled back before shooting, fatally wounding the man, later identified by his family as Stephan Turner Jr., 27.

Regina Ward; her boyfriend, Ronald McGowan Jr.; and their young son, Ronald McGowan III, were grazed by bullets at the house, said Ward's sister, LaTanya Ward, 39.

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Police: Fragments of 7 bullets in road shootings from same gun

22 incidents reported from Oct. 16-18, most along I-96 corridor

Fragments of seven bullets found at the scenes of roadway shootings in Wixom and Livingston County came from the same gun, authorities said Tuesday.

The Oakland County Sheriff's Office Forensic Laboratory analyzed the bullet fragments from the seven sites, Under sheriff Michael McCabe said.

"We can't say with certainty what caliber weapon they came from at this point," McCabe said. "But seven of these incidents are from the same weapon."

Evidence from other shooting incidents is being reviewed by the Michigan State Police.

Wixom Police Chief Clarence Goodlein said investigators have received more than 200 tips from the public about the shootings, suspicious vehicles or suspects.

From Oct. 16-18, police said 22 shootings were reported in Oakland, Livingston, Ingham and Shiawassee counties, most aimed at vehicles along the Interstate 96 corridor. No injuries have been reported.

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Michigan State Police: Man who fled trial in May is captured

Jackson — Michigan State Police say they've captured a 53-year-old man who was wanted since he fled the last day of a criminal trial five months ago.

TV stations WNEM and WILX report Ricky Wheeldon was caught early Wednesday following a traffic stop in Ingham County's Leslie Township.

Police say Wheeldon was taken into custody without any problems. He's being held at the Jackson County Jail. A 62-year-old man driving the vehicle also was expected to face charges.

Police say they found a loaded gun and suspected methamphetamine in the vehicle.

Authorities say Wheeldon ran a theft and drug ring. He stood trial in May and MLive.com reports a Jackson County jury convicted him of nine felonies, including running a criminal enterprise.

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Task force promises 'best effort' to find I-96 corridor shooter

East Lansing — A multi-jurisdictional task force met Tuesday morning at Michigan State University to consolidate resources in an investigation of 22 shooting incidents in four counties.

Ingham County Sheriff Gene Wriggelsworth said no new incidents have occurred since late Thursday, but the task force is investigating scores of tips on the incidents, in which shots were fired at oncoming traffic on or near Interstate 96 in Oakland, Livingston, Ingham and Shiawassee counties. The shootings took place between Oct. 16-18.

The meeting at the MSU Department of Public Safety included more than 30 officers from Wixom, Ingham County and Shiawassee County.

"We wanted to brief this group with what the Wixom group knew," Wriggelsworth said. "We're pursuing a number of leads."

By Karen Bouffard
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Evidence shows Kilpatrick spent more to steer contracts to Ferguson

Water department altered process to give him better shot

Detroit — Kwame Kilpatrick was willing to pay millions of dollars more for water and sewer work if it meant steering contracts to his friend Bobby Ferguson, according to testimony and evidence presented Monday in federal court.

Water boss Victor Mercado ignored favorable rankings for competing contractors to give work to Ferguson, according to Daniel Edwards, a water department official who testified for more than three hours on Monday.

And the water department took steps to alter competitors' qualifications to give Ferguson a better shot at getting contracts, evidence showed.

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Police release sketch in I-96 shootings

Police released a sketch Sunday of a suspect involved in a series of random shootings in Livingston, Oakland and Ingham counties along the Interstate 96 corridor.

The sketch is from a description of a suspect that was given to police from one of the shooting incidents that happened Thursday in Ingham County. The eyewitness also gave police descriptions of a car resembling the vehicle the suspect was driving. The car being driven by the shooter is possibly a dark 1998 Oldsmobile Alero or a 1998 Camry.

The suspect, from the witness description, is believed to be a white male in his early 20s to mid-30s who has beard stubble.

A multi-jurisdictional task force has been set to try and find the shooter. No one has been injured in the incidents. Some automobiles in the Wixom area have been damaged by bullet holes, however.

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Mom seeks help in finding missing Roseville man

Roseville — The mother of a missing man is asking the public for help in finding him.

Christopher "Sloan" Taylor, 39, was last seen Oct. 4 after getting his car repaired, said his mother, Vikki Taylor Harper, an Atlanta-area resident.

Taylor, a divorced father of two, is a salesman of industrial equipment. His mother said she doesn't necessarily expect foul play but said her son would not just walk away without his family knowing where he is.

"This length of time is impossible," said Taylor Harper Sunday. "My son doesn't go two days with talking to me, his aunt, his child or his work."

By Oralandar Brand-Williams
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Police: Roseville man asked undercover detective to kill his wife

Roseville — Charles Tringali of Roseville has been married for 27 years, but police say he wanted out and wasn't planning on getting a divorce.

Tringali, 68, is being held at the Macomb County Jail on $1 million bond after he was arraigned Wednesday in 39th District Court on a charge of soliciting the murder of his wife.

He faces up to life in prison if convicted.

Police haven't released a motive in the case. Tringali's wife was not harmed.

"For whatever his motivations were, he wanted someone to kill his wife and was willing to pay for it," said Deputy Police Chief Donald Glandon of the Roseville Police Department. "Luckily, through quick police work, we were able to stop it."

By Maureen Feighan
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Life sentence for man in Livingston County killing

Howell — A man has been sentenced to life in prison in the murder, mutilation and burning of a 40-year-old man a year ago in Livingston County.

Calling it a "horrific crime," Circuit Judge David Reader sentenced 28-year-old Brian Stafford on Thursday.

Stafford pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, saying he aided co-defendant George Tanner in the Oct. 15, 2011, slaying of Christopher Townsend, who was beaten with a wrench and strangled with a seat belt.

Townsend's remains were burned in a wooded area in Green Oak Township.

Stafford cried and asked for forgiveness from Townsend's family on Thursday.

Tanner's case remains on hold.

The prosecutor's office is asking the state Supreme Court to overturn Reader's ruling that the jury cannot hear Tanner's alleged confession to police.

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Roseville man held on solitication for murder charge

Fraser — A 68-year-old Roseville man is being held on $1 million after he allegedly tried to hire someone to murder his wife.

Charles Tringali was arraigned Wednesday on a charge of solicitation for murder, a felony, in 39th District Court. He faces up to life in prison if convicted.

According to a press release, police got a tip that Tringali was looking to hire someone to kill his wife of 27 years. A meeting was held between Tringali and a Roseville detective, during which a location for the murder was discussed along with methods. Police said a down payment was made to the detective.

Tringali was then arrested.

A preliminary exam is scheduled for 8:15 a.m. Wednesday.

By Maureen Feighan
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Women Arraigned on Selling K2 Charges

Two women were arraigned Wednesday on charges of selling K2 at a Livingston County smoke shop.

Court documents state Ronda Rosak of Howell and Melissa Dzierwa of Fowlerville are charged with selling K2 at Smoke Depot in Howell back in April. Their attorney, Timothy Corr, says Michigan State Police took several products from their store including "Gods of Aroma." When police sent the it to the lab, they learned it contained an ingredient consistent with K2 and inconsistant with state law.


"They're very upset of course, because they had no idea that the chemical was in that product," said Corr. "The store was under the impression that chemical wasn't present and they had a lab report from the place they bought it from to prove it."


Both are out on a $5,000 personal bond. If convicted, Corr says the maximum penalty for selling a non-narcotic is seven years in prison.

6 News reached out to Livingston Prosecuting Attorney David Morse several times for comment, but our calls were not returned.

By Maria Hechanova WLNS

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Warren man sought sex in Fraser store bathroom, police say

Fraser — A 61-year-old Warren man has been arrested and charged with soliciting men on Craigslist to meet him in a store bathroom for sex, police said Wednesday.

Ronald Ernest Frazier is charged with prostitution-soliciting and indecent exposure, according to Lt. Dan Kolke of the Fraser Public Safety Department.

Police say investigators came across a posting on Craigslist from a male who was asking other men to meet him for sex in the bathroom at a local Meijer store.

Detectives arranged a meeting with the suspect at the store.

Kolke said an undercover police officer observed the suspect engaged in a sex act alone in a bathroom stall.

The suspect then invited the officer to the parking lot for sex, officials said.

Police arrested the suspect as he walked out of the store with the undercover officer.

By Charles E. Ramirez
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Dearborn police seek theft suspects who posed as utility workers

Dearborn — Police are seeking the public's help to find two suspects they say posed as water company workers to steal from an 89-year-old woman.

The men knocked on the front door of a home in the 7500 block of Anthony Street about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday and told the resident they were from the "water board," police said.

The pair, who did not have IDs, said they needed to check the water inside the home.

"Once inside, they stated she needed to pay her water bill," the Police Department said in a statement. "The homeowner went to get the money while both subjects followed. The homeowner opened a safe containing a large amount of money. One subject took the money while another took the safe."

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Metro Detroit taxi drivers on edge after shootings

Detroit — The death of a cab driver, who fired back at two men who tried to rob him, has drivers nervous about a recent uptick in violence against cabbies.

The shooting death of Jawan McQueen, 47, a father of four and at least the fourth Detroit cab driver shot in less than a month, highlights the violence they face whenever a fare enters a taxi.

By Serena Maria Daniels and Tony Briscoe
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Informant says he gave FBI information on additional Child Killing victims, suspects

Detroit — A mysterious informant who claims to have information about the Oakland County Child Killings said Tuesday he has turned over information to the FBI that concerns at least 10 additional victims as well as the names of three suspects he believes were involved in all of the deaths.

At a news conference at the office of attorney Paul Hughes, who represents the family of victim Kristine Mihelich, a man known only as "Bob" discussed facets of his own investigation by phone with reporters.

According to Bob, a five-year independent investigation by him and others found the "random" killings of children or teenagers by a group of three to four people actually began in northern Michigan in 1969 and continued until 1982 — five years after the last of four Oakland County children were abducted, killed and their bodies left in public areas to be found.

By Mike Martindale
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Man dies in fourth cab driver attack in Detroit in a month

Detroit — A fourth cab driver shot in the city within a month is dead.

Detroit police said two men held the Checker Cab driver at gunpoint in a robbery attempt at about 4:20 a.m. Tuesday at a Mobil gas station near the intersection of Harper Avenue and Connor Street on the city's near east side. One of the suspects fired shots at the driver, who then returned fire.


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Kilpatrick witness pleaded guilty in '09, still hasn't gone to prison

Detroit — Kwame Kilpatrick wants to know why a key government witness in the City Hall corruption case has not reported to prison almost two years after being sentenced by a federal judge.

Kilpatrick wants an answer before homeless shelter operator Jon Rutherford testifies, which could happen as early as this week. A hearing is set for Tuesday in federal court.

By Robert Snell
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Part of man's lip bitten off by would-be robber in Pontiac

Pontiac — An intended robbery victim had part of his lip bitten off during an attempted mugging over the weekend, Oakland County Sheriff's deputies reported Monday.

Deputies responded to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Pontiac about 6 p.m. Saturday to interview the victim, identified only as a 51-year-old Pontiac man.

By Mike Martindale
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Dearborn police: No ticket for Lions' Suh after car accident

Dearborn — Detroit Lions' star defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh will escape a traffic citation following a minor car accident Thursday along the Southfield Freeway, Dearborn police reported Friday.

Stephen Vines, 43, of Livonia, said Suh sideswiped his car on an exit ramp.

Vines said the defensive tackle clipped his Ford Escort as the football player was headed toward the team's practice facility. After the collision, Suh kept driving to the Lions' practice grounds, he said.

By Tony Briscoe, Mike Wilkinson and Chris McCosky
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Illegal immigrant faces charges in sex assault

An illegal immigrant from Mexico has been arrested on charges of sexually assaulting a minor in Pontiac, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Miguel Angel Davila-Ruiz, 33, was taken into custody Wednesday at a home in southwest Detroit by immigration officers. He was charged in July with four felony counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. Davila-Ruiz was turned over to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office. After his criminal case is resolved, he will be returned to ICE custody and processed for deportation, authorities said. The victim in the sexual-assault case told Oakland County detectives that Davila-Ruiz assaulted her numerous times in 2011.

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Officer guilty of murdering pregnant girlfriend in Saginaw

Saginaw — A jury in Saginaw has convicted a 37-year-old suspended police officer of first-degree murder in the extension cord strangulation of a woman eight months pregnant with his son.

The Saginaw County Circuit Court jury reached the verdict Thursday in the trial of Kenneth Bluew. It also convicted him of assault causing a miscarriage and having a firearm in a felony.

He faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole. His sentencing wasn't immediately scheduled.

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