Great Lakes Wire

Steven Allen, 43, of Detroit, pled guilty today to one count of embezzlement between $50,000 and $100,000 and one count of financial transaction device—stealing/retaining without consent in the Third Circuit Court in Wayne County. The announcement was made by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. Allen had been charged in January with four felonies for embezzling more than $60,000 from a sitting Circuit Court judge. Under the plea agreement, Allen is required to pay $64,651.74 in restitution and serve three years of probation.

"Embezzlement is a serious crime with devastating financial consequences that shatters trust when committed by someone close to the victim," Nessel stated. "My department will continue to prosecute individuals who exploit their positions for personal gain."

Allen served as a judicial assistant to a judge in the Third Circuit Court in Wayne County from 2018 to 2022. During this period, he illegally obtained an ATM card linked to the judge’s accounts and made unauthorized withdrawals and purchases. The victim discovered the missing funds after being notified of delinquent taxes on a secondary property.

Sentencing is scheduled before Judge Anne McCarthy on October 4, 2024, in the Third Circuit Court in Wayne County.