MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. – The three people charged in connection with the attempted murder of a Macomb County businessman have been bound over.
The ruling comes after a second day of testimony in the preliminary examination for Jasan Martin, 32, of Eastpointe, Rachard Huffman, 39, of Sterling Heights and Dawn Huffman, 45, also of Sterling Heights, focused on eyewitness accounts, physical evidence, financial records and cellphone data tied to the shooting of Eddie Jawad outside his Macomb Township home.
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The three defendants are accused of conspiring to silence Jawad after he noticed unusual activity on his business credit card, which was intended for DTE payments, and repeatedly asked his office manager, Dawn, for the statements. It was later determined that the statements she eventually gave him had been altered only to show DTE payments, investigators testified
Charges
Officials identified Martin as the alleged gunman, and he was arrested in connection with the shooting on Oct. 19, 2025.
On Friday, Feb. 20, Martin was bound over on the following charges:
- Conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, premeditated (Punishable by life without parole)
- Assault with intent to murder (Punishable by life or any term of years)
- Possession of a weapon by a prohibited person (5-year felony)
- Two counts of weapons felony firearm (2-year felony, consecutive to main charge)
Following Martin’s arrest, the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office announced on Monday, Nov. 3, that Martin and his brother, Rachard, had been arraigned on charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in connection with the case.
Rachard was bound over on the following charges:
- Conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, premeditated (Punishable by life without parole)
- Conspiracy to commit embezzlement, agent or trustee $100,000 or more (20-year felony)
Rachard’s wife, Dawn, was the office manager for Jawad’s company when the shooting happened, and had worked for Jawad for over 22 years, officials said.
In her position, Dawn handled a credit card that was supposed to be used to pay utilities at Jawad’s properties. Prosecutors say Dawn used the card to embezzle more than $100,000.
Dawn was bound over on the following charges:
- Conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, premeditated (Punishable by life without parole)
- Embezzlement of $100,000 or more (20-year felony)
- Conspiracy to commit embezzlement, agent or trustee $100,000 or more (20-year felony)
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During the preliminary hearing, the judge heard from several witnesses, including the officer in charge of the case and the detective who went through financial transactions and records, which uncovered dozens of Cash App transfers totaling about $128,000.
Preliminary examination
Here’s what we learned during the preliminary examination on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026:
Someone who lives in the same neighborhood as Jawad testified that at around 9 a.m., he heard approximately seven gunshots coming from behind his home, in the area of Jawad’s home. After checking his baby, he looked out a window and said he saw a slender man dressed in all black with his hood up jogging across a lawn and getting into a black mid-sized SUV.
The vehicle then drove to 24 Mile Road and headed eastbound. When he saw a police officer canvassing the area, the witness flagged them down to report what he had seen.
Deputy Ashley Olsen, an evidence technician with the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office, testified she processed a 2024 Ford Escape linked to the case.
She recovered fingerprints from the vehicle’s touch screen and collected DNA swabs from the steering wheel and gear shifter. In the trunk, investigators found screwdrivers, gloves and other tools. Partial prints were obtained from the license plate.
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Macomb County Sheriff’s Office Detective Sgt. Kent Lagerquist testified that during an Oct. 21 search warrant at a Sterling Heights home, Dawn answered the door and was detained while officers secured the scene. Investigators seized her cellphone and searched for records and digital devices.
He said officers located boxes of documents inside outdoor trash bins, including an IRS notice dated Oct. 15, one day after the shooting, and other documents related to the case.
Someone who was friends with Jasan testified that on Oct. 14, 2025, the day of the shooting, he came to her home and left a handgun and a license plate, saying he needed to put them somewhere. She said he returned later that evening to retrieve the items.
She admitted she initially lied to police about the gun but changed her statement after being confronted with evidence.
Macomb County Sheriff’s Office Detective John Palazzolo testified that a Capital One credit card belonging to Jawad and his business was allegedly intended to pay DTE Energy bills, but investigators discovered roughly $300,000 in additional transactions.
He identified dozens of Cash App transfers totaling about $128,000, with approximately $74,000 allegedly going to Rachard. Additional transactions included PayPal transfers and more than $3,500 in Amazon purchases shipped to Dawn’s home.
Palazzolo also testified about business entities linked to the defendants, including a food truck company tied to a nearly $14,000 trailer purchase. Another LLC, with a similar name to a vendor that Jawad’s company worked with, with Dawn being listed as agent, was filed one day after the shooting.
He further testified that some credit card statements provided by Jawad were altered to show only utility payments.
Macomb County Sheriff’s Office Detective Tara Frizzell testified about cellphone mapping and GPS data obtained through search warrants.
She said a prepaid phone exchanged calls with Rachard’s device around 9:22 to 9:32 a.m. on the day of the shooting. Data presented in court placed the prepaid device and a vehicle near the shooting location that morning.
Under cross-examination, she acknowledged that cellphone data shows the location of devices, not necessarily who was holding them.
Detective Christopher Fraser, a 23-year veteran of the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office and the officer in charge of the case, testified that he responded to the scene the day of the shooting. By the time he arrived, Jawad had already been transported to the hospital.
Fraser observed bullet holes in Jawad’s Range Rover and shell casings near the north side of the property, which he identified as the area where the suspect entered and exited. Within hours, investigators began reviewing traffic camera images and identified a black Ford Escape captured by a Flock safety camera less than 15 minutes after the shooting.
Police later determined the license plate on the Escape did not belong to that vehicle and had been switched. After identifying the correct plate, investigators traced the vehicle and ultimately shifted their focus to Jasan Martin. Fraser testified that Martin was located and arrested days later at a Warren home.
Fraser also interviewed both Dawn and Rachard. Dawn told him the credit card transactions were authorized and said she repaid Jawad in cash for any money he loaned her. Rachard told investigators that Dawn handled the finances and confirmed he received Cash App transfers from her when he asked for money. He denied any involvement in the shooting.
What’s next
After hearing the testimony, Macomb County Judge Stephen S. Sierawski bound all three defendants over to circuit court, where they could stand trial.
They are scheduled to be arraigned in Macomb County Circuit Court on Tuesday, March 10.
“Allegations of premeditated attempted murder strike at the core of public safety,” said Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido. “Planning to take a life—even if unsuccessful—is an act of extreme danger and moral depravity. Our community cannot tolerate calculated violence that treats human life as disposable, and we will continue to act decisively to protect the public and seek justice for the victims.”