Former State Of Michigan Employee Charged In Embezzlement Case

LANSING, MI — A former state of Michigan employee has been charged with embezzlement following an investigation by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, Nessel's office announced in a news release Wednesday morning.

Joseph Pettit, 49, a former Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) has been charged with three counts of embezzlement over $100,000, four counts of uttering and publishing and one count of using a computer to commit a crime.

If convicted, Pettit could serve up to 20 years in prison.

Pettit is expected to appear in 54-A District Court in Lansing Friday for arraignment, Nessel's office said.

"This case is a reminder that my office treats it very seriously when anyone abuses the system for their own gain,” Nessel said. “I am grateful to EGLE for their cooperation and diligence in ensuring those who violate the public trust are held accountable and in working to ensure something like this never happens again.”

Nessel's office said Pettit, who worked with the state from 1996 to 2020, is accused of stealing embezzling more than $850,000 from the state between 2018-2020. Suspected losses from 2013 through 2016 are barred by the statute of limitations, Nessel said.

According to Nessel, Pettit, who was an environmental quality specialist, was tasked with handling funds transferred between EGLE and companies. When the respective companies were meant to have funds returned to them, Pettit would instead divert the money into accounts he made for fake vendors, Nessel's office said.

EGLE leadership became aware of potential discrepancies in September of 2020, and immediately contacted Michigan State Police, which conducted the investigation, according to a news release.

“Our discovery of potential crimes was immediately referred to law enforcement, and we continue to provide them everything they need to ensure justice is done on behalf of the State of Michigan,” EGLE Director Liesl Clark said. “We are also doing everything we can to prevent this from occurring again, including strengthening internal financial controls to provide even greater checks and balances against fraud.

“We hold ourselves to the highest standards of government ethics at EGLE and that starts with vigilantly stewarding public funds,” Clark added. “So when an employee disregards department values and violates the public trust, it harms not only Michigan’s 10 million residents who count on us to use their resources wisely to protect the environment and public health, but also fellow members of the EGLE team who dedicate their lives to that mission.”