Breaking news … City socked with a steep legal bill for internal investigation

By Charles Sercombe
The cost of an internal investigation into three city officials has reached over $300,000 and that cost will continue to get higher.
The Review obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request a legal bill submitted by the Miller Johnson law firm that was hired by the mayor and city council to conduct the investigation.
That bill is now at $339,439, and according to sources, will climb to close to $500,000.
The law firm investigated various allegations of wrongdoing by Police Chief Jamiel Altaheri, officer David Adamczyk, and City Manager Max Garbarino.
The result of that investigation is expected to be discussed at the next city council meeting on Tuesday.
The law firm’s involvement stems from City Manager Garbarino putting Police Chief Altaheri on paid administrative leave pending an investigation into various allegations of wrongdoing.
The internal department investigation into the chief was performed by officer Dave Adamczyk, and that prompted an angry outburst from Mayor Amer Ghalib at a city council meeting two months ago.
Mayor Ghalib said the investigation into the police chief was about a “power” conflict with City Manager Garbarino.
Ghalib also insisted that only he and the council have the authority to authorize an internal investigation into city employees – including the mayor and city councilmembers.
“This body decides who gets investigated here or not,” Ghalib said.
At the mayor’s behest, Garbarino was placed on paid administrative leave. The rift between the mayor and Garbarino appears to be beyond repair, and it is rumored that the city council is considering to fire Garbarino.
Garbarino has since filed a lawsuit against the mayor and city council for being suspended.
Mayor Ghalib told The Review that the cost of the investigation is justified.
“This is the price of miscalculated decisions and mismanagement. The investigation report is almost ready and we will find out soon who is responsible for all of these damages to the city’s reputation and finance,” Ghalib said.
City Manager Garbarino, not surprisingly, disagreed.
“That’s an awful lot of money to waste to tell people the same thing I already told them,” Garbarino said.
“Perhaps next time they can save $300,000 and listen to what the professional City Manager recommends.”
In an engagement letter to the city, the Miller Johnson law firm told the mayor and council:
“The investigation does not include determining potential criminal liability except as relevant to whether any allegations of criminal conduct were sufficiently credible to warrant administrative actions undertaken based on the applicable civil administrative rules and regulations.”
The hourly legal fee for the attorneys involved in the investigation is $550 per hour per attorney, and the deal required the city to pay a $100,000 retainer fee up front.
The internal investigation into the three city officials followed an internal department investigation by officer Dave Adamczyk in which some of the allegations made about Altaheri include:
• Being involved in domestic assaults with a woman who had their child
• Arranging a payment ranging from $1 million to $5 million, through a metro area associate of President Trump, to get a presidential pardon for a convicted New York financier friend
• Involved in transporting a stolen car out of New York; attempting to get the city council to fire Garbarino for reporting election fraud
• Directing Adamczyk to seek $40,000 to $50,000 from an unnamed towing company to sponsor the chief’s podcast
• In two separate incidents, driving a vehicle while drunk

Chief Altaheri has vehemently denied the allegations.
The FBI is reportedly conducting an investigation into the chief.
Adamczyk was placed on paid suspension by Garbarino after he submitted his investigation into the police chief. Garbarino said he suspended Adamczyk as a matter of department policy – not for wrongdoing.
Police Chief Altaheri is accusing Adamczyk and Garbarino of various wrongdoings.

Adamczyk has since joined Garbarino’s lawsuit against the mayor and council.

Police Chief Altaheri has recently filed a lawsuit against the city manager, and the mayor and city council.
Posted Aug. 22, 2025

Updated, on Aug. 22, 2025