Breaking news … Officer fired for alleged role in bribery scheme
By Charles Sercombe
A Hamtramck police officer was fired today, Friday, Dec. 17, for being part of an alleged bribery scheme involving a towing operation.
Michael Pacteles, 44, was fired from the department after the FBI charged him with accepting bribes while he was in the Detroit Police Department.
The corruption probe is part of an investigation of several officers who allegedly accepted bribes from a towing company.
Pacteles resigned from the Detroit Police Department in 2020.
According to a press release issued by the Hamtramck Police Department, his alleged involvement in the scheme was unknown at the time he was hired.
The alleged criminal actions did not occur while Pacteles was a Hamtramck officer, the department said in its press release, which does not name him.
“The department cooperated with federal authorities to assist in his
apprehension which occurred without incident. While the person involved is entitled to a presumption of innocence, the City of
Hamtramck has zero tolerance when it comes to the type of allegations made in court today,” the press release said.
“These allegations in no way reflect upon the other members of the Hamtramck Police Department who work very hard under difficult circumstances to keep our residents and visitors safe.”
Posted Dec. 17, 2021
7 Responses to Breaking news … Officer fired for alleged role in bribery scheme
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Mark M Koroi
December 18, 2021 at 1:25 am
Another news source has indicated Pacteles was only placed on “administrative leave” rather than fired. Pacteles had once been assigned to an FBI task force on fraud and ID theft when he was a detective at Detroit P.D.
He has been a Hamtramck Police Department officer since April of 2021.
csercombe
December 18, 2021 at 11:03 am
CITY OF HAMTRAMCK
DEPARTMENT OF POLICE
3401 EVALINE
HAMTRAMCK, MICHIGAN 48212
Phone 313-800-5281 Fax 313-974-7647
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
December 17, 2021
Federal Corruption Probe
HAMTRAMCK, MI-
On today’s date, a probationary Hamtramck Police Officer was terminated upon his arrest
and subsequent federal charges. His alleged criminal activities were not known to the
City of Hamtramck at the time he was hired and did not occur in connection with his
duties related to the Hamtramck Police Department. Upon learning of the charges, the
City took immediate disciplinary action that resulted in his termination from the
department. The department cooperated with federal authorities to assist in his
apprehension which occurred without incident.
While the person involved is entitled to a presumption of innocence, the City of
Hamtramck has zero tolerance when it comes to the type of allegations made in court
today. These allegations in no way reflect upon the other members of the Hamtramck
Police Department who work very hard under difficult circumstances to keep our
residents and visitors safe.
The City of Hamtramck wishes to thank the FBI for bringing this matter to its attention.
We will continue to fully cooperate with all investigations to ensure that those involved
with any alleged misconduct or corruption are held accountable for their actions.
Mark M. Koroi
December 18, 2021 at 8:53 pm
According to news accounts that have surfaced in the last several months, the FBI initiated a sting operation dubbed “Operation Northern Hook” in 2019 that used an undercover agent and also a towing company confidential informant to target elected officials and police officers with bribe offers. Detroit City Council member Andre Spivey was indicted as an FBI target of the sting and has already pled guilty.
The federal criminal complaint, available on SCRIBD, naming Pacteles alleges that as a DPD detective, he accepted bribe monies in exchange for sensitive information on the Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN) relating to car registration that the towing company employee would not otherwise have access to.
The FBI arrested Pacteles at Hamtramck Police Department HQ Friday morning and he was represented by court-appointed counsel after being placed in custody.
The $64.00 question that has not been revealed in prior news accounts is the IDENTITY OF the towing company employee that has been acting as the FBI confidential informant.
If there is one thing that this sting – as well as other news stories that have surfaced in the last few years – is the cozy relationship towing company personnel have had with some local elected officials and police officers.
Mark M. Koroi
December 19, 2021 at 8:31 pm
Snapshots of Michael Pacteles the day he was sworn in as a Hamtramck Police Department officer by City Clerk August Gitschlag – including a photo of Chief Anne Moise and Bacteles together:
http://www.coffeeordie.com/detroit-police-detective-towing/
This reminds us of the federal lawsuit filed in 2019 that had alleged that Detroit and Hamtramck Police Department officers were accepting kickbacks to protect illicit towing activities by Breakthrough Towing:
http://www.metrotimes.com/news-hits/archives/2019/04/23/mafia-esque-hamtramck-detroit-cops-named-in-federal-breakthrough-towing-lawsuit
http://www.wxyz.com/news/lawsuit-police-businesses-allegedly-accepted-kickbacks-to-allow-illegal-towing-in-detroit
City Attorney James P.Allen, Sr. initially stated the Breakthrough Towing lawsuit against the City of Hamtramck were meritless – 2-1/2 years later the case still pends?
Joe Jackson
December 20, 2021 at 9:09 pm
Let me get this straight: Hamtramck claims that Mike Pacteles is innocent until proven guilty but still fires him. The same Hamtramck that let James Allen keep his job but want to let the court process play out. Huh 🤔
Mark M Koroi
December 21, 2021 at 6:49 pm
Joe:
Take it one step further.
Officer Ryan McInerney placed on paid administrative leave after two assault incidents on July 22, 2014 at traffic stops. The city refers the matter to MSP for investigation and it is eventually transferred to U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.
Mc Inerney and the City of Hamtramck eventually negotiate a separation agreement that permits him to eventually find work as a railroad police officer.
One of the assault victims retains the Fieger Law Firm to sue the City of Hamtramck and McInerney. Cit Attorney John Clark initially represents both the city and McInerney. Later the City of Hamtramck hires – at its own considerable expense – another outside law firm, McGraw Morris, of Troy to separately represent McInerney, that firm specializes in police misconduct defense:
http://www.mcgrawmorris.com
While the Fieger Law Firm’s case pends in federal court, the U.S. Department of Justice announces a federal grand jury indictment in late 2018 alleging that McInerney violated the civil rights of the two assault victims. The City of Hamtramck, however, continues to pay the McGraw Morris firm to defend McInerney even though he is under criminal indictment. Fieger later settles the matter with McInerney and the City of Hamtramck. Due to a judge’s retirement and COVID-19 delays, the criminal case lingers until McInerney pleads guilty in Spring of 2021 to violating the civil rights of the two assault victims and filing false police reports. He is sentenced to three years in prison this fall by Judge Gershwin Drain. McInerney FINALLY is incarcerated at the Danbury Federal Correctional Institute in Connecticut a few weeks ago – it is a minimum security prison.
So Officer McInerney assaults two citizens at traffic stops in 2014 – and pleads guilty and is incarcerated in 2021.
Was it fair to treat Pacteles differently than McInerney under these circumstances – espeially where the McInereny case involved two victims and the Pacteles case only alleges payoffs?
Resident
December 23, 2021 at 12:57 am
As a new hire, Mr. Pacteles probably doesn’t have civil service protection. It is easy for the city to terminate his employment. On the other hand, McInerney probably had tenure at HPD and civil service protection. City could not terminate his employment easily.
Alternatively, perhaps the city learned its lesson from McInerney experience, and thus, chose not to make the same mistake twice.
-Resident