Two longtime Wayne County Roads Division employees embezzled more than $1.7 million from a public pot of money that was supposed to help repair local roads and bridges, but instead went into their pockets through a phony invoice scheme, according to criminal charges unsealed Tuesday.
Authorities allege the pair used stolen tax dollars to buy 596 generators and other power equipment, including lawnmowers, chainsaws, and a backpack blower, and then sold them on the Internet for profit.
Kevin Gunn, 64, of West Bloomfield, and John Gibson, of Detroit, were arrested on Tuesday and charged with federal program fraud, wire fraud and money laundering for their alleged roles in a scheme that authorities say lasted for almost two years. Following their arrests, both made initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Detroit and were released on bond.
The charges come two years after a Free Press investigation documented fraud and looked into Wayne County's struggles to inspect bridges, and detailed how the accuracy of dozens of inspection reports was called into question after a state review found bridge conditions did not always match inspection reports.
More: Michigan’s bridges are bad — and a fix could take nearly a century
Gunn manages the Bridge Unit of the Wayne County Roads Division and has worked for the county for 34 years. Gibson is a foreman within the Bridge Unit and has worked for the county for 20 years.
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