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No. 19
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
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May 10 - 17, 2012
w w w . a s s o c i a t e d n e w s p a p e r s . n e t
Students from the William
D. Ford Career-Technical
Center were at the Innovative
Vehicle Design Performance
Challenge at the Michigan
International Speedway last
Saturday.
See page 3.
Volunteers are being sought
to participate in the annual
Romulus citywide Clean
SweepDay, scheduled to begin
at 9 a.m. this Saturday, May 12.
See page 5.
The next distribution of
emergency food for Plymouth
and Northville families is
scheduled for May 17 at St.
KennethCatholicChurch.
See page 4.
Girl Scouts of Michigan
recently honored Valerie
Niemiec and Christina
Kowalczyk of Northville for
their dedication and service to
scouting.
See page 4
.
The 20thStampOut Hunger
food drive is planned for this
Saturday when mail carriers
will collect food and toiletry
items for distribution to the
needy in the area.
See page 5.
Vol. 127, No. 19
Vol. 65, No. 19
Vol. 65, No. 19
Vol. 12, No. 19
Vol. 12, No. 19
Vol. 127, No. 19
Vol. 65, No. 19
Vol. 65, No. 19
The Cyber High School
Program of the Westwood
Community Schools was
recently honored by the
Michigan Association of
School Boards.
See page 3
.
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
State Rep. Richard
LeBlanc, a 1976 graduate of
John Glenn High School, has
been named the Distinguished
Alumni of 2012 and will be
honored at graduation in June
See page 4.
JohnWerth, current director of public safety
in Northville Township, will not seek the office
of Plymouth Township Supervisor in
November.
In a statement issued this week, Werth said
that the circumstances surrounding his with-
drawal are “highly suggestive of reprisal and
retaliation.”
Werth has been publicly critical of current
Supervisor Richard Reaume and Township
Treasurer Ron Edwards' handling of the public
safety and fire department issues in the town-
ship. He verbalized those criticisms at public
meetings prior to obtaining nominating peti-
tions for the election. He said that recent deci-
sions of the board of trustees caused him con-
cerns about the safety of his family members
who reside in the township.
In his official statement, Werth said, “I will
withdraw my petitions to run for Supervisor of
Plymouth Township Monday afternoon after
receiving notification from the U.S. Office of
Special Counsel that my candidacy is a viola-
tion of theHatchAct”
TheHatch Act is a federal law that prohibits
elected officials from one community from
campaigning for office or soliciting campaign
funds in another municipality. While Werth is
hired, not elected, another provision of the act
prohibits campaigning by any employee who
oversees or manages departments that are in
any way funded by federal grants. Currently,
NorthvilleTownshiphas received federal grant
funds used by the police department, which
Werth oversees. The act is limited to partisan
elections. Werth also said, “The potential viola-
tion stems from my duties in connection with
federally funded activities in overtime pro-
grams and my supervision of officers who are
paid with federal grants, according to Mary
Larsen, an attorney with the Hatch Act Unit of
theU.S. Office of Special Counsel.”
Werth contacted the U.S. Attorneys Office
himself to ensure that his candidacy would not
put the township in jeopardy after a reporter
contacted him, questioning his violation of the
federal law. Werth said it was apparent that
someone from the township had informed the
reporter of the potential violation.
“I have found for the first time inmy life, my
integrity challenged as a result of the desire by
some to score political points and raise fears
Canton firefighters were
able to save Skylar, a yellow
Lab, from a house fire last
Saturday thanks to special
canine oxygen masks donated
to the department last year.
See page 4.
See
Werth,
page 2
The Hatch Act is a federal law that
prohibits elected officials from one
community from campaigning for
office or soliciting campaign funds
in another municipality.
”
Candidate for supervisor withdraws from race
Testimony in the corruption
charges against the former
Romulus Chief of Police Michael
St. Andre, hiswife, SandraVlaz-St.
Andre and five former Romulus
detectives was ended by Judge
James K. Kersten of the 33rd
District Court abruptly last week.
Kersten ruled last Monday that
transcripts of the proceedings
should be completed for reviewby
the prosecution and the defense.
He allowed the prosecution 45
days to prepare written argu-
ments and another 45 days after
that date for the defense to submit
a written brief in response. The
prosecution will be allowed an
additional 20 days after this time
to respond to the arguments of the
defense.
The attorney for the prosecu-
tion, Lori Dawson of the Wayne
County Prosecutors Office, esti-
mated that the case proceedings
could be delayed by 120 days. The
defendants are each free on bond
while the court proceedings con-
tinue.
Following the submission of
the written arguments to Kersten,
he will rule as to whether a crime
was actually committed and
whether there is sufficient evi-
dence to suspect that these defen-
dants committed the crime. If he
so rules, the seven will be bound
over for trial on the charges which
all stem from a 3-year investiga-
tion by the Michigan State Police.
As part of that investigation,
agents from the FBI assisted
Michigan State Police in serving a
warrant at St. Andre's office at the
police station where several car-
tons of records were seized last
fall. A search warrant was also
executed at St. Andre's home in
Garden City. The prosecution had
amassed more than 20,000 docu-
ments as evidence in the cases.
St. Andre, who resigned from
the Romulus department, is
accused of 10 charges, including
conducting a criminal enterprise
and acquiring or maintaining a
criminal enterprise. He could face
up to 20 years in prison if convict-
ed.
His wife also faces 20 years in
prison facing charges of acquiring
or maintaining a criminal enter-
prise and conspiracy criminal
enterprise.
Investigators claim that St.
Andre used $75,000 of drug forfei-
ture funds to buy a tanning salon
inWestland for hiswife.
During testimony at the prelim-
inary hearing whichwasmoved to
the Van Buren Township board
room to accommodate the num-
ber of defendants, attorneys and
witnesses, a long-time civilian
employee of the police depart-
ment was questioned about the
procedures for handling the drug
forfeiture cash. The owner of a
Subway sandwich shop in
Romulus took the stand as did
several other witnesses who testi-
fied to discrepancies in receipts
produced by the prosecution as
evidence. Several witnesses were
allowed to maintain their
anonymity by order of the judge,
and were identified as
Confidential Witness followed by
a number as some still work as
undercover police officers or are
confidential informants for police
departments.
The preliminary hearing was
expected to continue for at least
See
Hearing,
page 2
Investigators claim that St. Andre used $75,000
of drug forfeiture funds to buy
a tanning salon in Westland for his wife.
”
Police corruption pre-trial hearing adjourned by judge
‘Official business’ prompts police report
A formal police report alleging miscon-
duct in office has been filed against Wayne
City Councilman John P. Rhaesa by city
activist Christopher Sanders.
Sanders, who lost his bid for election to
the city council last year, has chargedRhaesa
with violations of Section 5.11 of the Wayne
City Charter which specifically prohibits any
pecuniary interest of an officer of the city in
“the profits on any contract job, work or serv-
ice to be performed for theCity.”
The police report was filed by Sanders
with Wayne Police Det. Sgt. Alan Maciag on
Tuesday.
The city of Wayne has been publishing
advertisements and legal notices in the publi-
cation owned by Rhaesa for several months
despite the prohibition in the charter. City
Manager Bob English said in an interview
earlier this year that the city had obtained a
legal opinion from city attorneys Fausone
Bohn, LLP in Northville, that allowed the
practice based on a section of Michigan State
Law that “supercedes” the local charter pro-
visions.
Sanders disagrees with that opinion and
said that his research indicated that while
the first portion of the state statute the city
cited might be interpreted to override local
regulations, the end of the section clearly dic-
tates that the city is not prevented from
imposing local regulations or following local
statutes already inplace.
“This is not, as some people have claimed,
sour grapes because of the election,” Sanders
said. “This is because of the selective
enforcement that seems prevalent at Wayne
CityHall inmany instances.”
Sanders also said that he was not taking
the action as any personal retaliation against
Rhaesa but was attempting to demonstrate
publicly the policy of favoritism he sees at
city hall. He said that the city attempted to
prosecute him for incorrectly signing peti-
tions as the “circulator” when he attempted
to put a ballot issue for fire department
staffing on the ballot. Those criminal charges
were subsequently dismissed in Garden City
District Court during a bench trial before
JudgeRichardHammer.
Sanders attorney, Ronald Ruark of Canton
Township, utilized the Freedom of
Information Act to obtain copies of several
invoices for advertisements and checks
issued toRhaesa and his companies while he
has been an elected official.
“If I was prosecuted for what was basically
a clerical error, for following the instructions
I was given by a city employee, and had to
face ludicrous criminal charges based on
such a technicality, then other violations
should also be prosecuted,” Sanders said. “I
had to go through that psychological torment
because city hall not only gave me the wrong
information, but opted to pursue what they
knew was a nonsense charge. Others whose
violations are even more public and egre-
gious, whose actions are actually damaging
the reputation of the city, do not face any con-
sequences. That's just wrong,” Sanders said.
“Imade some foolish decisions in the past
which cost me dearly. I paid for my mistakes
and the mistakes of others I trusted, but I did
not ever knowingly violate the law.” Sanders
served a 1-year probation sentence for
charges he provided liquor tominors.
“I didn't know these people were under
age, but it was my responsibility,” he said of
his guilty plea in that case.
“The city and CouncilmanRhaesa, howev-
er, know full well that this is wrong and they
continue the practice and to defend their
actions. I find it reprehensible,” Sanders
said.
The charter specifies a fine of up to $500
or imprisonment for not more than 90 days,
or both, if found guilty of the charges.
Maciag reportedly told Sanders the infor-
mation would be sent to the State Police for
investigation to avoid any possible conflict of
interest.
Councilman John P. Rhaesa