Macomb Scandal: Trustee Bucci Indicted In 'Pay-To-Play' Case

MACOMB TOWNSHIP, MI – Dino Bucci, a Macomb Township trustee and former operations manager at the Macomb County Department of Public Works, was indicted Wednesday on 18 charges, including conspiracy, bribery, embezzlement, extortion, mail fraud and money laundering. The charges are in connection with a wide-ranging "pay-to-play" scandal that involved other Macomb County and business officials.

Bucci, if convicted, could be looking at decades in prison and thousands of dollars in fines, according to a statement from acting U.S. Attorney Daniel Lamisch.

Bucci, according to the indictment, was involved in a 9-year-long bribery conspiracy with other politicians and contractors. He directed contractors to pay him tens of thousands of dollars in cash, checks and gift cards in exchange for work and contracts with the township and county governments. As an elected official, Bucci also pressed the same people to donate to his political campaigns in exchange for contracts, according to court documents.

On the extortion charge, court documents indicate that Bucci threatened to withhold permits for development work and home construction in order to force people to pay him tens of thousands of dollars in cash and kickbacks. On the embezzlement charge, court records indicate that Bucci took thousands of dollars in a variety of schemes. In on case, records show, he awarded a paving job to one contractor, but then had another one do the job for $180,000 and pocketed more than $66,000.

The indictment also accuses Bucci of stealing from Macomb County, noting that he had public employees do personal work for him with publicly-owned equipment, including having his mother's driveway and his own plowed after heavy snowfalls. In another example, the indictment noted that he forced an employee to take his kid to school 25 miles away. And, if employees refused to do the personal work, he threatened to dock their pay, cut overtime and send them to undesirable work locations.

The charges against Bucci are the latest in a scandal that has resulted in several indictments and convictions. Among those who have pleaded guilty for their involvement are Charles "Chuck" Rizzo, the CEO of Rizzo Environmental Services, James Pistilli, the former chief engineer at Macomb County Department of Public Works, and Paul Modi, a former engineer that worked with the county.

The case has been investigated by the FBI and IRS.

"The crimes as alleged in today’s indictment highlight a pervasive pattern of past corrupt and illegal practices in Macomb County," said David P. Gelios, Special Agent in
Charge of the Detroit division of the FBI.

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