Roseville man accused of owing $21K in back child support faces 4 years in prison
Wessley Kelly
FOX 2 - A 44-year-old Roseville man was arraigned for failure to pay child support, owing more than $21,000, according to prosecutors.
The backstory:
Wessley Kelly is accused of not paying child support despite "having the ability to pay and all efforts to work with him on payment options were exhausted," said the prosecutor's office.
On September 24, 2009, Macomb County Circuit Court Judge John C. Foster ordered Kelly to pay child support.
It is alleged that Kelly failed to comply with the court’s order, and that he accrued a child support arrearage of $21,574 with the last payment made in December 2021.
There has been one show cause hearing and one bench warrant issued to obtain compliance, according to the prosecutor's office.
"After determining that Kelly has the ability to pay, and with no enforcement options remaining or being effective, the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office charged Kelly with Failure to pay child support, a felony, which carries a potential penalty of up to four years in prison," said a release from the office.
It is the maximum criminal charge available based on the evidence, according to the office.
On August 26th, Kelly was arraigned, with his bond set at $5,393.00, cash only.
Kelly is scheduled for a Probable Cause Conference on Sept. 8.
"Children deserve the financial support and stability that court-ordered child support is designed to provide. When parents disregard their obligations, it is children who bear the burden," said Lucido in a statement.
Child support resources in Macomb
What you can do:
For assistance with starting a child support case, contact the Office of Child Support at (866) 540-0008.
For cases involving arrears of $5,000 or more, reach out to the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office Family Division at (586) 493-4488. The Prosecutor’s Office can only speak directly with the person who owes or is owed child support.
The Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office represents the People. We are committed to achieving justice and following the laws of the State of Michigan. All that are accused of a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The Source: Information for this report is from the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office.