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Ex-Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith ordered to trial in corruption case

Published  February 4, 2022 5:09pm EST
Crime and Public Safety
Associated Press
article

MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. (AP) - Former Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith has been ordered to stand trial on embezzlement and other charges.

A judge in Clinton Township made the ruling Friday following Smith’s preliminary examination.

Read: Eric Smith accused of embezzling $600K

Smith spent nearly 16 years as Macomb County prosecutor. Authorities have alleged that he ran a criminal enterprise and embezzled cash for country club catering, home security cameras and other perks.

Smith tapped accounts that held money from drunken driving cases, bad check cases and assets forfeited in drug crimes, according to the state attorney general’s office. The alleged scheme dated back to 2012 totaled $600,000.

Smith resigned from office in March 2020 after facing criminal charges.

He pleaded guilty about a year ago to obstructing justice in an investigation of how he spent campaign donations.

Smith will stand trial on the following charges: 

  • One count of conducting a criminal or racketeering enterprise – a 20-year felony;
  • Five counts of embezzlement by a public official – 10-year felonies;
  • One count of official misconduct in office – a five-year felony;
  • One count of count tampering with evidence in a civil proceeding – a four-year felony;
  • One count of accessory after the fact to Liston’s embezzlement by a public official – a five-year felony; and
  • One count of conspiracy to commit forgery – a 14-year felony and a $10,000 additional fine.

Ex-Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith in court facing allegations of misusing public money

The attorney general accused him of running a criminal enterprise - alleging he embezzled $600,000 in county forfeiture funds. Nearly two pandemic years later, the case still hasn't gone to trial.