AG Nessel charges Farmington Hills nonprofit leader with 16 felonies involving $20M grant

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Fay Beydoun

FOX 2 - Attorney General Dana Nessel has charged a Farmington Hills businesswoman with multiple felonies involving a $20 million state grant for a company she owned.

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Fay Beydoun was charged with 16 felonies for the alleged theft of funds and fraudulent administration of the grant money awarded to Global Link International, which she created and controlled.

She founded the nonprofit when she was the executive director of the American Arab Chamber of Commerce.

GLI, which had a Farmington Hills address, had a mission to accelerate business development in Michigan by attracting international entrepreneurs to the state.

It is alleged that no business relocated to Michigan through Global Link International efforts. Instead, Beydoun is accused of using the funds for personal gain and maintaining a $550,000 annual salary.

Beydoun, 62, allegedly used funds for her own personal use and enrichment, repeatedly lied to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation about expenses and activities of her business accelerator nonprofit, and did each of these to further a criminal enterprise for her own financial gain.

Beydoun was charged Monday in the 47th District Court in Farmington Hills. The Attorney General’s investigation into Global Link International’s funding and administration remains ongoing.

"Today, we allege Fay Beydoun sought and received a $20 million ‘Michigan enhancement grant’ from the state Legislature, operated a criminal enterprise to use those funds for personal expenses and her own enrichment, and lied repeatedly when reporting how she used those funds," said Nessel in a statement. "The process by which this ‘grant’ was proposed, developed, awarded, and administered bears practically zero semblance to the traditional grant process, and was only made possible through a system that pairs political cronyism with minimal oversight."

Beydoun has been charged with the following:

One count of Conducting a Criminal Enterprise, a 20-year felony.
Seven counts of Uttering and Publishing, a 14-year felony.
One count of Forgery, a 14-year felony.
One count of Larceny by Conversion, more than $20,000, a 10-year felony.
Six counts of Larceny by Conversion, $1,000 to $20,000, a 5-year felony.

Beydoun secured a "Michigan enhancement grant" within Public Act 166 of 2022, a law to generally fund the State of Michigan in Fiscal Year 2023, to establish and operate a global business accelerator in Oakland County.

The grant was to be administered by the MEDC. At the time she secured the grant, Beydoun served on the MEDC Executive Committee.

By the numbers:

It is alleged that Beydoun:

Forged an invoice from a law firm, produced that false record to the MEDC for purposes of grant administration.
Misrepresented the expense to the MEDC, and expended funds in association with that invoice on personal legal expenses not related to the purpose of Global Link International’s state funding.
Presented a false description of a $40,800 lease to the MEDC.
Fraudulently presented a French-language receipt for the purchase of two handmade Tunisian rugs, at a cost of more than $6,000, to the MEDC as representing funds paid to host an investor's event abroad.
Fraudulently presented to the MEDC that catering costs between $1,000 and $2,000 incurred on two separate occasions in 2023 were in support of Global Link events or to host focus groups, when in each instance the costs were incurred by Beydoun personally to host two separate dinners associated with then-Mayor of Detroit Mike Duggan at her home in Farmington Hills.
Used grant funds for two separate personal expenses, one totaling more than $5,000 to Royce Lighting for furniture and home decor and another to an Ace Hardware store for patio and gardening supplies totaling more than $1,400.
Submitted materially false reports to the MEDC to forestall grant termination and continue drawing her salary.

The Department of Attorney General opened an investigation into the Global Link International legislative grant in 2024. The state grant to Global Link International was terminated by the MEDC on March 18th, 2025, following reports of financial irregularities.

In September 2025, the Department of Attorney General froze more than $6.3 million in grant funds held in bank accounts connected to Beydoun.

According to the state of Michigan's website, "Beydoun served on the Executive Committee of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation as trustee for the Commission on Middle Eastern American Affairs and in 2019 she was appointed to the East Michigan District Export Council by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

"Among her numerous accolades, she received the Michigan Women’s Foundation ‘Top 25 Women Making a Difference’ Award and has been named one of the 100 Most Influential Women in Crain’s Detroit Business Magazine multiple times."