Former Clinton Township Trustee Dean Reynolds Sentenced To 17 Years In Prison For Multiple Bribery Schemes

Former Clinton Township Trustee Dean Reynolds, 51, of Clinton Township, Michigan, was sentenced today to seventeen years in prison and ordered to pay $15,000 in fines based on his convictions at trial on four counts of bribery conspiracy and ten counts of accepting bribes, in connection with millions of dollars in township garbage, towing, and engineering contracts, United States Attorney Matthew Schneider announced today.            

During the trial of this matter, the evidence showed that Reynolds demanded and took over $150,000 in bribes in four separate bribery conspiracies involving four different government contracts.  The bribes included over $75,000 in cash, $50,000 in free legal services for Reynolds’ divorce, and an all-expenses paid trip to Disney World, including an eight-night stay in a deluxe-level room costing over $600 per night.  The jury found that Reynolds demanded bribes in connection with the Clinton Township garbage-hauling contract worth over $16 million, the township engineering contract worth over $500,000 per year, and the township towing contract.  In addition, the jury convicted Reynolds of conspiring to pay bribes to former New Haven, Michigan Trustee Brett Harris and to corrupt the garbage contract for New Haven.  Reynolds was convicted of taking multiple bribes from convicted garbage executive Chuck Rizzo, from Paulin Modi, a former managing partner of Giffels Webster Engineering, who was also convicted of bribery, and from Gasper Fiore, the owner of multiple towing companies in southeast Michigan, who was also previously convicted of bribery conspiracy.

Schneider was joined in the announcement by Timothy Slater, Special Agent In Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Manny Muriel, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service.

United States Attorney Schneider said, “The Court’s sentence today shows that public officials who violate the trust of their communities by taking bribes and betraying their oaths of office will not escape our pursuit of justice.”    

“Today’s sentence serves as a reminder that there are consequences for robbing our communities of the honest government they deserve,” said SAC Slater. “The FBI and the Detroit Area Public Corruption Task Force will continue to pursue those who - like Mr. Reynolds - abuse their position for personal financial gain.”

This case is part of the government’s wide-ranging corruption investigation centered in Macomb County, Michigan.  The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David A. Gardey, R. Michael Bullotta, and Adriana Dydell.