James Warner, Bribery and Kickback Scheme, Michigan 2024

DETROIT – James Warner, 52, of Commerce Township, is facing potentially decades in prison after a jury found him guilty on all ten counts related to a sprawling bribery and kickback scheme that bled millions from Detroit Metropolitan Airport. The verdict, delivered after three hours of deliberation following a three-week trial, marks a major win for federal prosecutors in a case that exposed deep-seated corruption within the Wayne County Airport Authority (WCAA).

The evidence presented painted a damning picture of Warner, a former field inspector for the WCAA, systematically exploiting his position for personal gain from May 2010 through August 2014. Warner orchestrated multiple fraudulent schemes, inflating invoices for maintenance and repair work. The bulk of the stolen funds came through his dealings with co-defendant William Pritula, 69, of Romulus. Warner drafted inflated invoices for Pritula’s work, and upon payment, Pritula kicked back roughly half the profits – totaling a staggering over $5 million over four years – the largest bribe ever prosecuted in the Eastern District of Michigan.

The greed didn’t stop there. Warner also engaged in similar schemes with Douglas Earles, 60, of White Lake, owner of North Star Plumbing. Warner billed the airport for plumbing fixtures that were never installed, receiving kickbacks of roughly 40 percent of the fraudulent profits – over $100,000 between June 2010 and August 2013. He further squeezed Gary Tenaglia, 65, of Oakland Township, who held maintenance contracts for the airport’s parking structures, demanding 10 percent of each invoice in exchange for favorable inspections and the concealment of shoddy work. This netted Warner hundreds of thousands more.

Federal investigators have already seized $11.4 million in criminal proceeds, including $7.5 million from Pritula and $3.9 million from Warner himself. Pritula, Earles, and Tenaglia have all been convicted of conspiracy to commit bribery and theft. But the rot ran deeper than just the airport. After leaving the WCAA in August 2014, Warner landed a job with the Water and Sewer Department in West Bloomfield Township. In January 2017, he attempted to restart the same scheme with Tenaglia, demanding a 10 percent cut of invoices paid by the township.

The jury didn’t just convict Warner on the financial crimes. They also found him guilty of obstruction of justice for altering a document provided to the FBI during their investigation. United States Attorney Matthew Schneider emphasized the severity of Warner’s actions, stating, “Today’s conviction reinforces our dedication to prosecuting corrupt public officials who put their own greed over the best interests of the public…This is certainly true here, where the defendant showed little concern for the infrastructure of our very own airport.”

Facing sentencing guidelines of 292 to 365 months in prison, Warner’s fall from grace serves as a stark warning. FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Timothy R. Slater added, “The broad scope of Mr. Warner’s crimes demonstrates a profound misappropriation of the public trust. Citizens of the Eastern District deserve integrity and accountability from the officials charged with the operation of all public facilities, including Detroit Metropolitan International Airport.” The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities are signaling further scrutiny of potential complicity within the WCAA.