Bertram C. Johnson, Conspiracy to Commit Theft, Michigan 2023

Former State Senator Sentenced for Theft Scheme

Highland Park, MI – Bertram C. Johnson, a former state senator, was sentenced to 90 days in prison, followed by two years of supervised release with 90 days of home confinement and 480 hours of community service, and over $23,000 in restitution, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit theft from a federally funded program.

Bertram C. Johnson

Johnson, 44, admitted to employing a ghost employee, certifying her bi-weekly timesheets, causing the State of Michigan to pay her for work she did not complete. The ghost employee was paid over $23,000 in taxpayer money, which Johnson used to repay his personal loan debt.

“Public officials, especially those elected by the people, cannot treat the people’s money as their own,” stated United States Attorney Matthew Schneider. “The defendant in this case treated taxpayer money as his own, to repay his personal debt. Such an egregious abuse of power will not be tolerated.”

The case was investigated by agents of the FBI and IRS-CI, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys J. Michael Buckley and Frances Lee Carlson.

“The FBI, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to aggressively pursue public officials who engage in criminal conduct at taxpayer expense,” stated Timothy R. Slater, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office.

“Senator Johnson made a conscious decision to violate the trust and confidence of the constituents that he was elected to represent,” stated Special Agent in Charge Manny J. Muriel, IRS Criminal Investigation. “As today’s sentencing shows, IRS-CI, along with our law enforcement partners will continue to hold those who use fraud and deceit to line their pockets by stealing from our nation’s taxpayers accountable.”

This case serves as a reminder of the importance of accountability in public office and the need for citizens to hold their elected officials to the highest standards of integrity and transparency.

The sentencing was announced by United States Attorney Matthew Schneider, Timothy R. Slater, Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Division of the FBI, and Manny Muriel, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation.

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