Clinton Township Trustee Arrested for Demanding and Taking Bribes

A high-ranking elected official in Clinton Township, Dean Reynolds, 49, has been arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on charges of demanding and taking bribes in exchange for his vote on municipal contracts, according to United States Attorney Barbara McQuade.

Reynolds, a Trustee of Clinton Township, is charged with engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, including demanding and accepting money and other things of value, in exchange for official acts as a Trustee. The complaint alleges that since approximately 2012, Reynolds accepted multiple bribes from the representative of a company that was seeking and that secured a significant contract with Clinton Township.

In total, Reynolds accepted between $50,000 to $70,000 in cash from the company’s representative. In addition, Reynolds accepted an additional $17,000 in cash payments from an undercover agent of the FBI, with the payments being video recorded. In exchange for the money from the company representative, Reynolds sold his vote on the Board of Trustees in favor of the company’s contract, and Reynolds provided information about the votes of other Trustees.

“Corruption undermines the very nature of representative government,” said U.S. Attorney McQuade. “Law enforcement is committed to seeking out and prosecuting corrupt public officials in all areas of the Eastern District, including suburban communities.”

Reynolds will be in federal court this afternoon at 1pm for his initial appearance on the criminal complaint. If convicted, he faces a maximum of ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

The FBI requests that anyone having information regarding public officials accepting bribes is encouraged to contact the Detroit Division of the FBI at 313-965-2222.

This investigation is being conducted by the FBI Detroit Area Corruption Task Force, a multiagency task force led by the FBI Detroit Division and comprised of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Michigan State Police, Michigan Attorney General’s Office, and several other local and federal law enforcement agencies.

It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys R. Michael Bullotta and David A. Gardey.

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