Former police officer caught in a bribery sting

By Charles Sercombe
A former Hamtramck police officer faces bribery charges in federal court over his dealings with a tow company.
Last Thursday, Mike Stout, 60, was charged in federal district court with receiving over $9,000 in bribes, which included cash and a car.
Stout, of St Clair Shores, faces up to 10 years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines if convicted. He was released on a $10,000 unsecured bond.
This isn’t the first time Stout has come under scrutiny. He and other law enforcement officers were named in prior lawsuits for their handling of past investigations that ended up costing Hamtramck over $1 million in damages, some of which was covered by insurance.
Stout was part of a controversial joint task force with Highland Park to investigate auto thefts.
That unit has been dissolved.
Stout left the department in 2019, and was stripped of his police powers and also decertified as a police officer.
When he left the department, he said he was taking a job with Highland Park’s department, which never happened. After he left Hamtramck, Stout was still dealing with a tow company, apparently under the guise that he was an officer.
Stout was able to get information through the Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN) from an unnamed employee in the Hamtramck Police Department.
Sharing LEIN information with an unauthorized person is illegal.
Unbeknownst to Stout, he was dealing with an FBI undercover agent who was part of a sting operation. He is the sixth person to be charged in this investigation. Others charged include former Detroit police officers and former Detroit City Councilmember Andre Spivey.
Stout’s case is the latest of several instances of former Hamtramck officers getting in trouble with the law while performing their duties.
In a press release issued by the Hamtramck Police Department, it was said:
“The actions described in the indictment involve actions occurring after his active service\with the Hamtramck Police Department ended. … The allegations set forth in the federal indictment do not reflect the values of the Hamtramck Police Department and are not consistent with the daily actions of its dedicated members. The City of Hamtramck will fully cooperate with federal investigators.”
Phill Kwik, a former city council president and an outspoken critic of police departments, said this latest criminal charge of an officer supports his call for defunding the department.
“Unfortunately, cops like Mr. Stout seem to be the rule, rather than the exception,” Kwik said.
He added: “Is behavior like this business as usual in the department? Beyond that, this is why we need to take a serious look at how much money we’re spending on policing in this city, where that money is going, and whether we are being served well.
“Nearly half the city budget goes toward so-called public safety, leaving so little for any other services needed by our residents. Is spending that much money on police in the best interests of our residents? Or is it creating a safe haven for cops to break the public trust and the law?
“In last year’s election, our new mayor talked about creating a civilian oversight board of the police department. Now is the time to do that.”
Posted March 11, 2022