This week, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette charged two former State of Michigan Emergency Managers, Darnell Earley and Gerald Ambrose, with multiple twenty-year felonies for their alleged failure to protect the citizens of Flint from health hazards caused by contaminated drinking water.  Additionally, Attorney General Schuette announced that Mr. Earley and Mr. Ambrose, along with ex-City of Flint executives Howard Croft and Daugherty Johnson, also face felony charges of false pretenses and conspiracy to commit false pretenses related to their roles in a process that led to the issuance bonds to pay for a portion of the KWA water project.  A full overview of the Defendants and Charges is as follows:

Darnell Earley: Mr. Earley, of Lansing, was appointed as Flint’s Emergency Manager by Gov. Rick Snyder, serving from September 2013 until January 2015.  He is charged with the following:

• False Pretenses, Felony: 20 Years and/or $35,000, or 3 times the value of the money or property involved, whichever is greater.
• Conspiracy to Commit False Pretenses, Felony: 20 Years and/or $35,000, or 3 times the value of the money or property involved, whichever is greater.
• Misconduct in Office, Felony, 5 Years and/or $10,000.00
• Willful Neglect of Duty in Office, Misdemeanor: 1 Year and/or $1,000.00

Gerald Ambrose: Mr. Ambrose, of Wyoming, MI, began working for the City of Flint in January 2012, first as finance director for three emergency managers and then succeeded Mr. Earley when he was appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder as emergency manager from January 2015 to April of 2015. He is charged with the following:

• False Pretenses, Felony: 20 Years and/or $35,000, or 3 times the value of the money or property involved, whichever is greater.
• Years and/or $35,000, or 3 times the value of the money or property involved, whichever is greater.
• Misconduct in Office, Felony, 5 Years and/or $10,000.00
• Willful Neglect of Duty in Office, Misdemeanor: 1 Year and/or $1,000.00

Howard Croft and Daugherty Johnson: Mr. Croft was the City of Flint’s Director of the Department of Public Works from December 2011 to November 17, 2015. Mr. Johnson served as the City of Flint’s Utilities Director for the Department of Public Works.  They are charged with the following:

• False Pretenses, Felony: 20 Years and/or $35,000, or 3 times the value of the money or property involved, whichever is greater.
• Conspiracy to Commit False Pretenses, Felony: 20 Years and/or $35,000, or 3 times the value of the money or property involved, whichever is greater.

As of today, in total, Attorney General Schuette has filed forty-three criminal charges against thirteen current and former state and local officials since the start of the Flint Water Investigation.

Michigan Legislative Consultants is a bipartisan lobbying firm based in Lansing, Michigan. Our team of lobbyists and procurement specialists provide a wide range of services for some of the most respected companies in America. For more on MLC, visit www.mlcmi.com or connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.