Former Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith Sentenced to Prison for Obstruction of Justice | USAO-EDMI

Former Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith Sentenced to Prison for Obstruction of Justice | USAO-EDMI

DETROIT – Previous Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith, 53, of Macomb Township, was sentenced today to 21 months in federal jail right after owning pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice, declared United States Attorney Dawn Ison.

Ison was joined in the announcement by Performing Distinctive Agent in Cost Joshua Hauxhurst, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division.

Smith pleaded responsible on January 27, 2021, right before United States District Choose Linda V. Parker, to obstructing justice by trying to get a close friend and two of his assistant county prosecutors to make untrue statements to federal law enforcement officers and a federal grand jury in a federal felony investigation of Smith’s possess prison perform. 

Smith’s obstruction of justice related to an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation that disclosed that amongst 2012 and 2020, Smith executed two fraud schemes to steal close to $75,000 in hard cash from his political marketing campaign fund to use for private fees.  When he turned aware of a federal grand jury investigation in 2019, Smith pressured three witnesses to lie and dedicate perjury on his behalf to federal authorities and a federal grand jury.

Smith admitted that he experienced stolen over $74,000 from his campaign fund through two different fraud schemes.  In one particular plan, Smith falsely claimed that he was working with marketing campaign resources to pay rent on place of work room for his re-election initiatives.  In real truth, having said that, Smith hardly ever utilised the office house, but as an alternative wrote dozens of fraudulent checks to a good friend value above $50,000.  The friend then kicked again dollars from all of the cashed checks to Smith to use for his particular expenses.  In a 2nd fraud plan, Smith wrote a examine for $20,000 from the marketing campaign fund to an assistant Macomb County prosecutor, ostensibly for “consulting” operate on the campaign.  Even so, the assistant prosecutor then cashed the verify and surreptitiously provided $15,000 in money to Smith for Smith’s own bills.        

Smith has agreed to forfeit the $69,950 in fraud proceeds that he personally gained from his scheme to steal from his campaign account.  

US Lawyer Ison mentioned, “Today, Former Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith was sentenced to jail for violating his oath of workplace and betraying the belief that the Macomb County voters placed in him.  Smith employed his place to steal funds, and then utilised his authority to talk to witnesses to lie to federal investigators and to a federal grand jury.  As an elected prosecutor, his perform strikes at the pretty core of our justice process.  Today’s sentence proves that our justice program will work and that no one particular, not even a county’s main law enforcement officer is above the regulation.” 

“Eric Smith began his career by having an oath to uphold the regulation. Sadly, Smith ended that profession by encouraging some others to split the regulation,” said Josh Hauxhurst, Performing Unique in Demand of the FBI’s Detroit Industry Business office. “Today’s sentence is proof that his attempt to shield himself from the outcomes of his legal routines failed mainly because of the dedication of FBI and the US Attorney’s Business to hold accountable general public officials who have interaction in prison and corrupt behavior.”

The investigation of this situation was performed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The scenario was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Lawyer Robert Moran.

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