Great Lakes Wire

A former state of Michigan employee, Rufus Chappell, has been found guilty of embezzlement from the State by a Wayne County jury in the 3rd Circuit Court. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced the felony conviction on one count of Embezzlement, $20,000 to $50,000, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ incarceration.

Chappell, 64, of Farmington Hills, was found to have misused state vehicles for personal use over weekends, holidays, and outside business hours, accumulating unauthorized vehicle usage and mileage fees totaling $47,214.85 between August 2015 and January 2019. He had access to state motor pool vehicles for work purposes as an unemployment examiner with the Talent Investment Agency under the Department of Talent and Economic Development.

Upon discovering that Chappell's driver's license had been suspended, an investigation by Vehicle and Travel Services and the Department of Talent and Economic Development revealed extensive misuse of state vehicles.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel emphasized the seriousness of the verdict, stating, “This verdict sends a clear message that stealing from the State, and thereby the taxpayers, will not be tolerated. My office will continue to investigate and prosecute misuses of state resources to ensure all public servants are held accountable for the responsible use of taxpayer-funded resources.”

Julia Dale, the UIA Director, also expressed the agency's commitment to integrity and ethical behavior, saying, “We won’t waver from our mission to serve Michigan’s residents with integrity and we will aggressively go after anyone who breaks the law while working for the agency.”

Chappell is set to be sentenced on May 17 at 8:30 a.m. before Judge Mariam Bazzi in the 3rd Circuit Court in Wayne County.