Michigan State Executive - Attorney General
State Government: Executive Offices | Attorney General / Department of Justice
Recent News About Michigan State Executive - Attorney General
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AG Nessel Urges Human Trafficking Awareness During NFL Draft
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has urged residents to be vigilant and informed about the signs of human trafficking as the NFL Draft is set to draw hundreds of thousands of football fans to Detroit later this week."The NFL Draft will bring a lot of energy and excitement to Detroit, but it can also attract those wishing to exploit others," Nessel stated, emphasizing the importance of awareness and vigilance in protecting individuals most vulnerable to human trafficking.Nessel highlighted some common signs that may indicate someone is a victim of human trafficking,...
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AG Nessel Issues Cease and Desist Order to Pest Control Business for Alleged Consumer Protection Violations
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has issued a cease and desist order to Ecoshield Pest Solutions Detroit, LLC for alleged consumer protection violations. The company has been instructed to stop engaging in unlawful business practices and to amend its contracts to comply with Michigan laws.The action was taken after consumers lodged complaints with both the Attorney General's office and the Better Business Bureau. The Department of Attorney General sent a notice of intended action to Ecoshield, which sells pest control services through a door-to-door solicitation...
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AG Nessel Advises Attendees to Be Aware of Parking Scams During NFL Draft
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has cautioned attendees of the upcoming NFL Draft in Detroit to be vigilant against potential parking scams. Nessel emphasized the importance of staying alert to deceptive practices that could jeopardize the safety of attendees' vehicles during the event."Hosting the Draft is a major win for Detroit and Michigan, but this exciting event comes with the potential risk of parking scams," Nessel stated. "By following some simple tips, you can avoid falling victim to deceptive parking practices and ensure your car stays safe during the...
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Owner of Twice-Sunken Lake Michigan Barge Pleads Guilty to Felony
LANSING – The owner of a twice-sunken Lake Michigan barge, Donald Lewis Balcom, 89, of Traverse City, has pleaded guilty to one count of Water Resources Protection Violation for Discharge of Injurious Substances to Waters of the State, a two-year felony, as announced by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. The guilty plea stems from the barge releasing oil into Lake Michigan when it first sunk in November 2020.Sentencing has been deferred, giving Balcom a 12-month window to relocate the barge to a permanent, legal location. Attorney General Nessel stated that if Balcom...
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No Charges in Lansing Officer-Involved Shooting as Self-Defense Ruled
The Department of Attorney General has announced the conclusion of its review of the officer-involved shooting that resulted in the death of Nicolas Micko on January 5th, 2023, in Lansing, without issuing charges against the involved officers and troopers, citing self-defense as the reason.In response to multiple 9-1-1 calls describing Micko's erratic behavior with a rifle, law enforcement officers from the Lansing Police Department and Michigan State Police were dispatched to the scene. Upon arrival, they encountered Micko running towards them with a pistol, ignoring...
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AG Nessel Re-Issues Credit Card Protections Alert to Remind Consumers of Their Rights as Financial Literacy Month Continues
Attorney General Dana Nessel has reissued a Protections for Credit Cardholders alert as Financial Literacy Month progresses, aiming to educate consumers on their rights under the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009. Nessel emphasized the importance of understanding these protections, stating, “Most of us use credit cards in our everyday lives and it is important to know what protections we have when we choose this payment method.”The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reported that in the first five years after the CARD Act came into...
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AG Nessel Reissues Online Ticket Purchasing Alert Ahead of NFL Draft
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has reissued an alert regarding online ticket purchasing ahead of the NFL Draft, which is set to take place in Detroit for the first time since its inception in 1936. With the event expected to draw in hundreds of thousands of football fans, Nessel is warning residents about the potential for scams targeting ticket buyers."Unsuspecting fans could pay money for a ticket that was otherwise free or spend hundreds, or even thousands, on what turns out to be a phony screenshot of a ticket that doesn't exist or has previously been sold,"...
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AG Nessel Argues to Eliminate Over 96% of Consumers Energy’s $136 million Rate Hike; Advocates Gas Rate Reduction
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has filed testimony before the Michigan Public Service Commission advocating for a rate reduction for Consumers Energy Company's natural gas customers. Nessel stated, "For our efforts, we are able to present direct evidence to the Commission to refute the need for any rate hike for Consumers Energy at this time and argue Consumers’ customers should instead see a rate decrease."Nessel's testimony revealed that Consumers Energy's $136 million rate increase request could be reduced significantly. She highlighted that Consumers Energy is...
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Michigan AG partners with USPS inspectors against organized retail crime
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has announced a new collaboration between the FORCE Team and the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) to address organized retail crimes involving the postal system.
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Michigan AG warns against price gouging during NFL Draft
As Detroit prepares to host the NFL Draft, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has issued a reminder to consumers about potential price gouging during the event. The city is expecting an influx of football fans, and Nessel wants attendees to be vigilant.
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SCOTUS Denies Rehearing Request by Attorneys Sanctioned for Meritless Election Lawsuit
The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a rehearing request from Sidney Powell and several other attorneys who were sanctioned for filing a baseless challenge to the 2020 presidential election. The Supreme Court's decision comes after petitions for certiorari filed by the attorneys were denied in February.Last year, a panel of the Sixth Circuit upheld the monetary and disciplinary sanctions imposed against the attorneys by U.S. District Court Judge Linda V. Parker in August 2021. In her scathing opinion justifying the sanctions, Judge Parker expressed, "This lawsuit...
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Michigan AG Nessel Testifies in Support of BRITE Act
LANSING – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson appeared before the House Ethics and Oversight Committee to endorse the Bringing Reforms in Integrity, Transparency and Ethics (BRITE) Act. The Act aims to enhance disclosure requirements for political funds, limit the movement of legislators transitioning to lobbyists, and broaden gift disclosures for elected officials.During the hearing, Nessel emphasized the importance of closing loopholes in campaign finance laws to prevent undisclosed political influence. She warned against the...
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Former Hartford Police Chief Pleads Guilty to Drug-Related Charges
Former Hartford Police Chief Tressa Beltran has pleaded guilty to drug-related charges in a case that has shocked the community. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced that Beltran admitted to one count each of Delivery or Possession with the Intent to Deliver less than 50 Grams of a Controlled Substance and Use of a Computer to Commit a Crime.The plea deal includes a sentencing agreement that will see Beltran facing a minimum term of incarceration of 24-40 months, with a statutory maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment. The sentence for each count will run...
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Oakland County Physician Bound Over on Insurance Fraud Charges
LANSING – Dr. Rainna Furnari Brazil, 57, of Sylvan Lake, was bound over yesterday in the 48th District Court in Bloomfield Hills on charges stemming from an allegedly fraudulent disability insurance claim and subsequent years of receiving fraudulent payments, announced Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. She will stand trial in the 6th Circuit Court in Oakland County. Brazil, a licensed osteopathic physician, applied for and received disability insurance payments from the Unum Life Insurance Company of America. The People allege she subsequently continued working as a...
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Former Fabius Township Supervisor Sentenced in 2010 Cold Case Sexual Assault
Former Fabius Township Supervisor Kenneth Dwayne Linn, 58, of Three Rivers, has been sentenced to 19 to 50 years' incarceration for a sexual assault committed in 2010, as revealed by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting. Linn was found guilty of four counts of First-Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct by a Kalamazoo County jury in March, following a cold-case investigation led by the Kalamazoo County Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) team.Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel commended the SAKI units for their work, stating,...
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AG Nessel Announces Airline Passenger Protection Partnership with U.S. Department of Transportation
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has announced a new partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) aimed at enhancing protections for airline passengers. The agreement focuses on reviewing and resolving consumer complaints against airlines and ticket agents, with a strong emphasis on upholding federal aviation consumer protection requirements.In a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Michigan Department of Attorney General and the DOT, a streamlined process for addressing consumer complaints against air travel companies has been outlined....
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Attorney General Nessel Charges Former State House Speaker Lee Chatfield with 13 Felonies, Conducting a Criminal Enterprise
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has announced 13 felony charges against former Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives Lee Chatfield for alleged financial crimes. Nessel stated, "Our investigation has uncovered evidence that Lee Chatfield used various different schemes to embezzle, steal, and convert both private and public monies." The charges include Conducting a Criminal Enterprise and multiple counts of embezzlement and conspiracy to commit embezzlement.According to Nessel, Chatfield is accused of misusing political non-profit funds, state budget funds,...
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AG Nessel Re-Issues Alert to Warn Medium and Small Business Owners That Tax Scams May Target Them
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is re-issuing her alert, Tax Scams Targeting Small and Midsized Businesses, emphasizing the need for small business owners to be vigilant against tax scams. Nessel stated, “Criminals who perpetrate tax scams against small and midsized businesses are not only defrauding hardworking entrepreneurs but also undermining the integrity of our tax system for financial gain.”The AG outlined various tax-related scams that target small and midsized businesses, which include Business-Related W-2 Scams, Employer ID Number Scams, and IRS Imposter...
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Court of Appeals Affirms Clergy Sexual Abuse Convictions of Neil Kalina
LANSING– Yesterday, the Michigan Court of Appeals affirmed Neil Kalina’s two Second-Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct convictions, announced Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. Kalina was charged and convicted following the Attorney General’s statewide clergy abuse investigation. Neil Kalina, 67, formerly of Shelby Township, was sentenced in July 2022 after a jury found him guilty of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old child in 1984. He was a priest at St. Kiernan Catholic Church in Shelby Township from 1982-1985. He is currently incarcerated at the Cooper Street Correctional...
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AG Nessel Saves I&M Customers $11.2 million, Nixes Ratepayer Subsidization of Sweetheart Deal Between Utility and Affiliates
LANSING – Yesterday, the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) issued an order in Indiana Michigan Power Company’s (I&M) 2021 Power Supply Cost Recovery Reconciliation case agreeing with the Attorney General’s argument to disallow nearly $11.2 of unreasonable costs associated with a ‘sweetheart deal’ I&M entered into with its own affiliate power generators. I&M was improperly seeking to recover these costs from its customers to enrich shareholders contrary to the law. Both I&M and the power generators are owned or affiliated with American Electric Power, or AEP, and...