DETROIT – A federal investigation into corruption within Wayne County government is now finished.
While Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano was not charged, five others were, including Wayne County's chief information officer and an assistant Wayne County executive who served as the director of HealthChoice of Michigan.
United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade announced the completion of the three-year investigation Monday, saying that no more charges were being sought.
Ficano repeatedly denied wrongdoing. The bad publicity, the county's poor finances and a disastrous jail project led to his re-election defeat last August.
FBI agents turned their eyes to county government after dozens of people were convicted of corruption at Detroit City Hall, including former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.
A Ficano political aide, Michael Grundy, was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for looting a health insurance program for the poor. His spending spree included $10,000 for hair plugs before his wedding.
County spending came under scrutiny in 2011 when the chief development officer, Turkia Mullin, got a $200,000 severance when she was promoted to airport director. Ficano initially defended the payment but changed course and said she wouldn't get it.
Wayne County aide convicted of taking kick backs
Former Wayne County assistant executive Michael Grundy took a plea deal and was sentenced to prison for accepting kickbacks when he was at the helm of the county's health care program.
Federal prosecutors say Grundy abused his power as head of county health care programs by starting a kickback scheme that allowed him to collect almost $700,000 in cash, cashier's checks and money orders. He also obtained a one-third's share in a $50,000 Caribbean time share.
View/download: Sentencing memorandum for Michael Grundy
According to prosecutors, Grundy used his fiancée to launder about $120,000. Among the items purchased with that money were $10,000 hair plugs bought before the couple's wedding. The rest of the money was spent on items including floor tiles for his home, Delta Airlines flights, appliances, electronics, designer clothing -- specifically $3,135.33 paid to Louis Vuitton -- and cable bills.
County CIO sentenced to prison
David Edwards, who was a division director in the county's information technology department, was convicted on a charge of taking illegal gratuities. He was sentenced to one year in prison.
--David Edwards
Ex-Ficano aide sentenced to 41 months in prison
Zayd Allebban was sentenced to 41 months in prison for obstructing an FBI bribery and extortion probe.
Allebban was convicted of pressuring a vendor to lie to agents and manufacturing evidence to impede the investigation. Documents were falsified to conceal the fact that a contractor had given Allebban's friend and then-supervisor, Tahir Kazmi, cash and paid for trips.
Kazmi was the county's chief information officer. He also pleaded guilty to accepting a bribe.
--Zayd Allebban