Michael Lovelock Pleads Guilty In Macomb County Corruption Case

MACOMB COUNTY, MI — After multiple indictments were handed out Wednesday in Macomb County’s garbage hauling scandal, a former Chesterfield Township supervisor pleaded guilty to conspiracy to federal program fraud. Michael Lovelock is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 5 and could receive up to four years in prison for his role in the scandal involving Rizzo Environmental Services.

Macomb Township Trustee Clifford Freitas was also expected to plead guilty in a Thursday afternoon hearing in front of U.S. District Judge Robert Cleland. Freitas is charged with bribery conspiracy involving federal funds, a five-year felony, the Detroit News reported. Federal authorities allege that Freitas took $7,500 in bribes from Rizzo between July 2015 and January 2016.

On Wednesday, former Rizzo CEO Charles B. “Chuck” Rizzo was indicted on five counts of bribery and three counts of conspiracy to commit bribery. Also charged with bribery on Wednesday was towing company owner Gasper Fiore, 56, of Grosse Pointe Shores.

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The indictment charges Fiore and former Clinton Township trustee Dean Reynolds, 50, of Clinton Township, with multiple counts of bribery and conspiring to commit bribery in order to secure a towing contract with Clinton Township sought by Fiore. In March 2016, Fiore allegedly paid a $4,000 cash bribe to Reynolds, and then another $3,000 in cash to Reynolds in May 2016. The bribes were paid by Fiore to Reynolds through Charles B. Rizzo, according to Federal authorities.

As for Lovelock, he was indicted in December. He was accused of taking multiple bribes in exchange for supporting a municipal contract for Rizzo’s garbage company, the Detroit News reported. Authorities believe Lovelock accepted $30,000 in bribes.

Federal authorities captured one bribe payment on video. Lovelock unknowingly accepted two bribes totaling $4,000 from an undercover FBI agent. Lovelock, who had been Chesterfield’s supervisor since 2008, lost his bid for re-election in November to Republican Daniel J. Acciavatti.

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