Two New Haven trustees are facing federal charges in a seedy bribery scheme that exposes deep rot in Macomb County’s local government. Christopher Craigmiles, 43, of Lenox Township, and Brett Harris, 57, of New Haven, were charged today in a sweeping corruption case involving cash-for-votes on municipal contracts. The arrests mark another blow to southeast Michigan’s beleaguered local leadership, where trust is crumbling under the weight of systemic graft.
Craigmiles, a current elected Trustee of the Village of New Haven, is charged in a criminal complaint with demanding and accepting a $5,000 cash bribe from an undercover FBI agent in August 2016. In exchange, he agreed to support a future contract for a company referred to as “Company A.” The transaction was captured in audio and video recordings as part of a wide-ranging FBI sting that has already ensnared multiple officials across the region.
Harris, a former Trustee who lost re-election in November 2016, is charged in a criminal information with accepting $11,000 in bribes from the same undercover agent. The payments came after former Clinton Township Trustee Dean Reynolds—already charged in a separate federal indictment—introduced Harris to the agent, vouching that Harris would take cash for a favorable vote. Harris then escalated the scheme by bringing in Craigmiles, identifying him as another willing participant.
Reynolds, who accepted between $50,000 and $70,000 from a Company A executive and $17,000 directly from the undercover agent, set the dominoes in motion. His blind referral to Harris opened the door for a deeper infiltration of New Haven’s leadership. The FBI’s operation, which included wiretaps, consensual recordings, financial subpoenas, and physical surveillance, reveals a network of officials treating public office like a black-market auction.
“Our elected officials must make decisions based on what is best for the people and our communities, not based on whether they are given cash,” said U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade. “Elected officials who violate the public trust by accepting bribes must be arrested and prosecuted.” The Detroit FBI’s Gelios echoed the sentiment, calling the conduct a direct threat to the integrity of governance.
The investigation, led by the FBI Detroit Area Corruption Task Force—with support from IRS-Criminal Investigation, Michigan State Police, and the Michigan Attorney General’s office—remains ongoing. With wiretaps still active and financial records under review, more arrests could follow. For now, the fall of Craigmiles and Harris stands as a grim reminder: in some corners of Michigan, democracy has a price tag.
Related Federal Cases
- Clinton Trustee Reynolds Busted in $70K Bribery Scheme · Michigan
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- Chesterfield Supervisor Lovelock Busted in Bribery Sting · Michigan
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- Clifton Divers, Charles Busse Charged in Bribery, Fraud Scheme · Michigan
Key Facts
- State: Michigan
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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