Great Lakes Wire

A former detective lieutenant with the Lincoln Township Police Department, Johnathan Chase, has been charged with multiple felonies for allegedly falsifying salvage vehicle inspections. The Michigan Attorney General, Dana Nessel, announced that Chase, 54, of Stevensville, was arraigned on October 22 in St. Joseph's 5th District Court.

Chase faces eight counts of false certification, each carrying a potential sentence of one to five years; two counts of using a computer to commit a crime, which is punishable by up to seven years; and one count of misconduct in office, a five-year felony.

Attorney General Nessel stated: “Salvage vehicle inspections are vital to protecting residents from stolen or unsafe vehicles on our roads. When law enforcement officers abuse their authority and compromise that process, they not only betray public trust but also put innocent owners at risk. I appreciate the Michigan State Police for bringing this matter to our attention, and we will continue to hold those who misuse their positions accountable.”

According to authorities, salvage vehicle inspections are intended to verify that vehicles significantly damaged or rebuilt with parts from other sources are safe and not assembled from stolen components. As the only officer responsible for these certifications within his department, Chase is accused of submitting several falsified inspection forms to the Michigan Department of State.

The investigation was conducted by the Michigan State Police Southwest Commercial Auto Recovery Team (SCAR), which then referred the case to the Department of Attorney General’s Focused Organized Retail Crime Enforcement (FORCE) Team. Chase’s next court appearance is scheduled for October 31 in the 5th District Court.

The FORCE Team was established in January 2023 by the Attorney General’s office as a specialized unit targeting criminal organizations involved in retail theft operations. The team includes two full-time assistant attorneys general and works closely with special agents from both the Department of Attorney General and Michigan State Police detectives. It also collaborates with federal agencies such as the FBI’s Detroit Fraud and Financial Crimes Task Force and the Postal Inspection Service. This unit is noted as being unique among all states due to its embedded staff from the Department of Attorney General.

In addition to law enforcement partnerships, FORCE has worked with major retailers including Sam’s Club/Walmart, Meijer, Target, Home Depot, TJ Maxx, Rite-Aid, Lululemon, Ulta Beauty, Amazon, and Lowe’s on organized retail crime investigations.

Authorities emphasized that all charges are allegations at this stage. “For all criminal proceedings, a criminal charge is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty,” according to information provided by the Department of Attorney General.