He was the Chief Operating Officer of the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office under embattled former Prosecutor Eric Smith. Tuesday (May 31) night, he’s reached a plea deal that includes testifying against his former boss.

It’s been more than two years since Michigan State Police raided then-Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith’s home.

Macomb County’s former Prosecutor Eric Smith is facing federal and state charges in two different investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI as well as the Michigan Attorney General’s Office are conducting investigations, charging him on different alleged crimes. In addition, federal court said he developed a scheme with Macomb County Assistant Prosecutor Paul Bukowski to set up a fake consulting company contact to justify $20,000 in campaign money he stole. “It was clear it was more than misappropriation of funds it was.” said Macomb County Commissioner. Drolet along with county executive and treasurer Larry Rocca raised the alarm in 2018 over Smith’s handling of county asset forfeiture money.

Former Macomb County prosecutor Eric Smith is no stranger to a courtroom, but Friday he was just another defendant. United States Attorney Matthew Schneider said the FBI had been investigating Smith for more than a year. “Our state has seen a number of public officials who have sworn to uphold their oaths and then they violated that,” Schneider said. Smith was given a $10,000 unsecured bond, he can’t leave the state without approval and has to surrender his CPL. He faces up to 21 months in custody and a $250,000 dollar fine.

Former Macomb County prosecutor Eric Smith faced a federal judge Friday in connection to an alleged embezzlement scheme. Smith said he had told three people -- two assistant prosecutors and a friend -- to lie about he use of campaign funds. Smith faces up to 20 years in prison, but will likely serve less than two years on the federal charge. He is also facing charges of embezzlement and racketeering for his spending of $600,000 from an obscure Macomb County forfeiture fund. Of that $20,000, Smith gave the consultant $5,000 and kept the remaining $15,000, which he used for his own personal use.

Federal officials said Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith had a secret talk in a stairwell, checked to make sure associates weren’t recording him on cellphones and asked employees to lie to FBI agents in an attempt to cover up how he was using thousands of dollars' worth of campaign funds.