Dana's Dispatch: embezzlement charges, hate crime laws, Swifties ticket scams, & more!

[logo]( Nessel: Ionia County driver’s ed program failed to refund students Attorney General Dana Nessel has sent iDrive Academy a Notice of Intended Action (NIA) to obtain refunds for students who enrolled in an Ionia County driver’s education program who they say infringed on the state's education laws. iDrive Academy’s certificates were revoked earlier this year on suspicions it violated the state’s Driver Education Provider and Instructor Act (DEPIA). The company is accused of engaging in misleading business practices, failing to issue refunds, providing instruction to students they were not certified to teach, and misrepresenting course records, according to the Michigan Department of Attorney General. "Having properly trained drivers on Michigan roads is vital for the safety of everyone who lives in this state," says Nessel. "And consumers have a right to get the services they pay for. The allegations against iDrive suggest the company may have failed on both fronts. My consumer protection team is committed to ensuring that Michigan consumers have guardrails against bad faith business practices." [READ MORE]( FOX 17 (June 5, 2023) Nessel: Ionia County driver’s ed program failed to refund students Retrieved from: [Nessel: Ionia County driver’s ed program failed to refund students](   Oakland County insurance salesman charged with embezzling from commercial clients An Oakland County insurance salesman has been charged in connection with allegedly embezzling from commercial clients, state officials announced Monday. Charles Walker was arraigned through 46th District Court in Southfield on four felony counts: conducting a criminal enterprise, embezzlement by an agent of $20,000-$50,000 and two counts of embezzlement by an agent of $1,000-$20,000. The charges against the 76-year-old stem from 2017, court records show. "The State alleges that, through his insurance agencies, Charles Walker & Associates (CWA) and the Walker Insurance Agency Group LLC (Walker Agency), Walker collected insurance premiums from commercial clients but failed to remit those premiums to the insurance carriers and failed to refund unearned premiums to clients after the clients canceled their policies," Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement Monday. The Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services revoked the CWA insurance producer agency license as well as Walker's insurance producer license in July 2017, according to the release. “Companies pay premiums to protect their assets from unforeseen damages and theft,” Nessel said Monday. “When insurance agents fraudulently pocket the money paid to them, it hurts their customers and leaves them without critical insurance coverage. My office remains committed to ensuring that Michigan business owners are not taken advantage of by bad actors.” [READ MORE]( Mark Hicks, The Detroit News (June 5, 2023) Oakland County insurance salesman charged with embezzling from commercial clients Retrieved from: [Oakland County insurance salesman charged with embezzling from commercial clients](   House panel considers bills to crack down on hate crimes Prosecutors lack the tools needed to fairly charge hate crimes in Michigan, state Attorney General Dana Nessel and Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy told lawmakers Tuesday in support of bills to expand Michigan’s hate crime laws. Image courtesy of Michigan Advance Nessel and Worthy noted in the House Criminal Justice Committee Tuesday that current hate crime laws, which help to prosecute malicious vandalism of property and other forms of intimidation, do not include protections for the LGBTQ+ community, the elderly or individuals with disabilities. Wayne County, Michigan’s most populous county, prosecutes more criminal cases than the rest of the state’s counties combined, Worthy said. She added state law currently only sets out to protect some Michiganders, not all and not the most vulnerable populations. The House committee solicited input on House Bills 4474-4477, which were introduced in April and would enact the Michigan Hate Crime Act and the Institutional Desecration Act, update sentencing guidelines and make it easier to prosecute individuals who target others for their ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability. Lawmakers on Tuesday did not take a vote on moving the legislation out of committee. Without expanded charging guidelines that would allow prosecutors to attribute hate crime penalties to the appropriate offenses, prosecutors often have to charge under inappropriate penalties that do not do enough to prevent further and increasingly serious crimes, Worthy and Nessel told legislators. Worthy said this sends a message that, “we tolerate hate crimes in the state.” Nessel, who has worked as both a prosecutor and defense attorney, testified that in the cases of bias-related homicides or attempted homicides, there were always less serious crimes defendants perpetrated previously that built up to a more lethal offense. “These are some of the most disturbing types of cases not only because they target individuals, but because the real intention is to target an entire community of people and instill them with fear,” Nessel said. [READ MORE]( Anna Liz Nichols, Michigan Advance (May 31, 2023) House panel considers bills to crack down on hate crimes Retrieved from: [House panel considers bills to crack down on hate crimes](   Kingsford man sentenced following Criminal Sexual Conduct conviction A Kingsford man was sentenced to prison on Monday following a conviction for second degree Criminal Sexual Conduct in March earlier this year. In a release on Tuesday, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said that Justin Harvala, 34, was sentenced to 142 months to 35 years in prison for the assault of a seven-year-old girl. Harvala had previously been registered as a sex offender and is a habitual fourth offender. The assault, which was captured on a “nannycam” by the victim’s mother, took place on February 11, 2021. “I’m grateful to the court for granting the significant sentence we sought of this habitual offender, and to the victim’s family for continuing the pursuit of justice for their daughter,” said Nessel. “Our hope, with a sentence of this length, is that this child may grow up and live freely knowing the man who assaulted her is nowhere in her community, and that he is not in a position to victimize more children.” [READ MORE]( Tor Thorne, WJMN (June 6, 2023) Kingsford man sentenced following Criminal Sexual Conduct conviction Retrieved from: [Kingsford man sentenced following Criminal Sexual Conduct conviction](   Wayne County attorney heading to trial in embezzlement cases, faces new charge A Wayne County attorney will stand trial for allegedly embezzling millions of dollars from the late Gretchen Carhart Valade and another client. David Sutherland, of Grosse Pointe Farm, is charged with one count of conducting a criminal enterprise, two counts of embezzlement of $100,000 or more, and one count of embezzlement from a vulnerable adult of $100,000 or more. According to the Michigan Attorney General's office, Sutherland was bound over on those charges after appearing for a preliminary hearing on Monday. The court found "sufficient evidence" after hearing from six witnesses, according to a press release. "Handling a client's finances with integrity and thoughtful consideration is one of the most important responsibilities of a trustee," said Attorney General Dana Nessel. "When the trustee's actions serve to enrich themselves at the expense of their client, my Financial Crimes Division will intervene." [READ MORE]( CBS News (June 7, 2023) Wayne County attorney heading to trial in embezzlement cases, faces new charge Retrieved from: [Wayne County attorney heading to trial in embezzlement cases, faces new charge](   AG Nessel warns Michigan ‘Swifties’ of scammers ahead of Taylor Swift concerts Michigan Taylor Swift fans should be aware of various ticket scams related to Swift’s Eras tour, as she arrives at Ford Field in Detroit Friday and Saturday. Image courtesy of WILX News 10 Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said there had been reports of scammers taking advantage of Swift fans, also known as Swifties, indicating some have lost as much as $2,500 paying for tickets that don’t exist or never arrived. Buying second-hand tickets online can be risky, and it’s easy for a scammer to fake a screenshot of tickets that don’t exist or have already been purchased. It’s important to take precautions to avoid scammers who will take advantage of fans’ desire to see their favorite performers in concert. This could leave scores of Swift fans with nothing more than teardrops on their guitars rather than memories of a fun night of live music. “Michigan residents who are defrauded by online ticket scammers should not just shake it off,” said Nessel. “We know these scams all too well. If you believe you were taken advantage of, filing a complaint with my office is better than revenge.” [READ MORE]( Samantha Sayles, WILX (June 9, 2023) AG Nessel warns Michigan ‘Swifties’ of scammers ahead of Taylor Swift concerts Retrieved from: [AG Nessel warns Michigan ‘Swifties’ of scammers ahead of Taylor Swift concerts](   Northern Michigan men accused in killing 2 Alpena women headed to trial Two men accused of murdering a 17-year-old Alpena girl and 34-year-old Alpena woman are headed to trial. Following a lengthy preliminary examination in Alpena County District Court this week, Judge Alan Curtis bound over both men to trial, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and Alpena County Prosecutor Cynthia Muszynski announced Friday, June 9. Brad Srebnik, 36, of Alpena, is accused of murdering Brynn Bills, 17, in August 2021. Srebnik and Joshua Wirgau, 35, also of Alpena, are accused of then murdering Abby Hill, 34, in September of that same year to prevent Hill from revealing information about the murder of Bills. On September 25, 2021, Srebnik, Wirgau, and Hill were dropped off in a remote area of Alpena. The prosecution alleges Hill was executed by gunshot on that property. Her body was discovered there on October 15, 2022. “I’m grateful for the collaborative effort of the Michigan State Police, prosecutor Muszynski and the prosecutors in my office for bringing this heinous crime into the courtroom before a jury,” Nessel said. “Our department will continue our tireless efforts to seek justice for these two young women as we begin to make the state’s case to the jury.” [READ MORE]( Ryan Boldrey, MLive (June 9, 2023) Northern Michigan men accused in killing 2 Alpena women headed to trial Retrieved from: [Northern Michigan men accused in killing 2 Alpena women headed to trial](   KEEP IN TOUCH WITH DANA: [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Web Site]( Any donor history information in this email reflects what we have on file for this specific email address. If you have donated with a different email address, with a check, or with a spouse – thank you so much. We have that on file and cannot thank you enough for your support. 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