I Finally Memorialized The Death Of Raymond Wojtowicz Former Hamtramck Mayor & Wayne County Treasurer

Ray Wojtowicz

I learned how they were flipping charities and properties from Ray Wojtowicz when he was hanging tough at the  PIAST Institute because he lived right around the corner in the Hamtramck Historic District.

They all treated me like I was a worthless, ignorant, savage pagan, who was too vague to hate, yet a blast to celebrate.

It costs $25 to start a nonprofit in Michigan.

Then, when you run for office, sell the nonprofit for $250,000 for your campaign by donating to yourself as a personal contribution.

Then, after you win, or lose, you donate the leftovers of your campaign finance, in accordance to Michigan Campaign Finance Law, to your other nonprofit, that you can either use to sell for your next cycle of perpetual campaigning, like Taras used to do, or, you could invest in real estate, and start doing the early stages of the corporate shape shifting grift.

TAH DAH!

Ray was pimping big stupid money from the Wayne County Property Taxes.

He got a percentage on the money collected, and, if you were really, really nice to him, you could even get some free properties.

My sincerest apologies for missing this most auspicious moment in history.

#maytheheavensfall

Retired Wayne Co. treasurer Raymond Wojtowicz dies

Detroit — Former Wayne County treasurer Raymond Wojtowicz has died, officials said Wednesday. He was 90.

"Today, I was saddened to hear of the passing of former Wayne County Treasurer Raymond J. Wojtowicz," said Eric Sabree, the county's current treasurer, in a statement. "In 2011, (he) gave me the opportunity to work under his leadership in the Treasurer’s Office. My condolences and prayers go out to (his entire) family during this difficult time."

I am saddened to hear of the passing of former Wayne County Treasurer Raymond Wojtowicz who admirably served our 43 communities for nearly 40 years, including his beloved hometown of Hamtramck. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Wojtowicz family at this difficult time.” pic.twitter.com/GybX1NvZtI

— Warren C. Evans (@CountyExecEvans) January 8, 2020

During his lengthy tenure, the Hamtramck native earned praise for working with distressed homeowners facing tax foreclosure, but also faced criticism because his office oversaw the foreclosure of more than 100,000 properties in a decade, The Detroit News reported.

Alisha Bell, chair of the Wayne County Commission, described Wojtowicz as "dedicated" to his job.

"He was a dedicated fiscal steward, overseeing billions of county tax dollars during his long run as Wayne County Treasurer," Bell said in an emailed statement. "He was a steady and stabilizing hand, helping guide Wayne County through some very tough financial times during his tenure."

Wayne County Executive Warren Evans also commented on the retired official's passing.

"I am saddened to hear of the passing of former Wayne County Treasurer Raymond Wojtowicz who admirably served our 43 communities for nearly 40 years, including his beloved hometown of Hamtramck," Evans tweeted. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the Wojtowicz family at this difficult time.”

When seeking re-election in 2008, Wojtowicz touted his experience in The News, including working with 20 nonprofits to give assistance to people unable to pay their property taxes.

"Every day, there are issues that come up where people need assistance," he told the publication at the time. "I enjoy doing (the job) for the benefit for all of the people in Wayne County."

Wojtowicz retired as county treasurer Dec. 1, 2015, after nearly 40 years in office. He was 86 at the time. A Democrat, he was last elected county treasurer in 2012.

He previously served as mayor of Hamtramck.

A graduate of St. Ladislaus High School and Great Lakes College, Wojtowicz also served as a Wayne County Community College trustee. He was a married father of five children and a grandfather, according to Detroit News archives.

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Cocktails & Popcorn: Matt Schneider Said "At Least"- Where is Bob Ficano, Turkia Mullin, Brendan Dunleavy, Raymond Wojtowicz??

I truly hope we did not forget about Bob Ficano.

I wonder what Bob is up to these days.

I wonder what Turkia Mullin is doing.

Where is Brendan Dunleavy?

Where is Raymond Wojtowicz?

We should talk to Kwame Kilpatrick.

Someone should invite them for a lovely evening of cocktails & popcorn and livestream the interviews.

Guilty Detroit Metro airport boss gasps at verdict in $5M bribery case

James Warner

Detroit — A former Detroit Metropolitan Airport official faces the longest corruption crime sentence in U.S. history after being convicted Wednesday of receiving more than $5 million worth of bribes.

James Warner, 52, of Commerce Township, gasped and arched his eyebrows as the jury forewoman said "guilty" 10 times for charges that included bribery, theft and money laundering conspiracies, and obstruction of justice, a charge that carries a possible 20-year prison sentence.

Warner could be sentenced to more than 30 years in federal prison. The sentence would eclipse the current record, a 28-year federal prison sentence being served by former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.

Warner will be sentenced Oct. 8 by U.S. District Judge Victoria Roberts.

"The government is going to come at him guns blazing and seek the maximum sentence," said Peter Henning, a Wayne State University law professor and former federal prosecutor. "Whether Judge Roberts gives that to him is an open question."

Advisory sentencing guidelines call for 24-30 years in federal prison.

U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider, who was in the courtroom Wednesday, said his office will pursue a sentence within the guideline range, "at least."

U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider said, "at least".

Roberts has broad discretion and can ignore the guideline range.

Henning does not expect a record-setting sentence even though Warner was accused of receiving five times as much money as Kilpatrick.

"Being an elected mayor versus an airport official, I’m not sure they’re exactly comparable even though (Warner) took much more money," Henning said.

Prosecutors wanted Warner taken into custody Wednesday, calling him a flight risk and a danger to himself, citing what they believe was a suicide attempt in 2017.

More than $1 million remains unaccounted for and the money could bankroll a flight from justice, Assistant U.S. Attorney Eaton Brown told the judge.

Warner’s lawyer Robert Harrison disagreed. All of Warner’s assets have been frozen or seized, Harrison said, adding that Warner is not suicidal.

The judge read letters from Warner’s doctor before deciding to let Warner remain free until October. The letters convinced the judge Warner was not suicidal and she was satisfied he does not have money to fund an escape.

Warner and his lawyer declined comment.

Jurors deliberated for about four hours before reaching the verdict following a trial that lasted parts of three weeks. In a rare move, Warner testified in his own defense.

Warner, an airport manager and field inspector who also worked for West Bloomfield Township, is the rare indicted public official to stand trial on corruption charges and risk a decades-long federal prison sentence.

Kwame Kilpatrick and Dean Reynolds

Two of the most recent politicians to stand trial in federal court —Kilpatrick and Clinton Township Trustee Dean Reynolds — were convicted and sentenced to double-digit prison sentences.

Kwame Kilpatrick, left, and Dean Reynolds.

Warner's alleged appetites distinguish him from the dozens of public officials who have been accused or convicted of corruption-related crimes in the last decade in Metro Detroit. He fabricated invoices, overcharged the airport for work performed by contractors and received more than $5 million worth of kickbacks during a four-year period, prosecutors said.

The alleged bribery conspiracy outlined by prosecutors started in May 2010 when Warner was working as a field inspector at the airport approving maintenance and repair contracts. He headed three related schemes involving Metro Detroit contractors, including Romulus businessman William Pritula, 70, whose company William Pritula & Sons held facilities and maintenance contracts at the airport, prosecutors said.

Warner drafted and submitted inflated invoices for work Pritula was hired to perform at the airport, according to the government. The payments totaled more than $18 million.

In return, Warner received approximately half of the profits from the contracts, or more than $5 million, according to the indictment.

Pritula pleaded guilty to bribery last year and could be sentenced up to 10 years in prison in September. He agreed to forfeit $5.4 million to the government.

Federal court records describe Warner as a greedy, potty-mouthed felon.

"If it weren't for me, your ass would be out," Warner told one airport contractor, according to the indictment.

That contractor, authorities allege, was Gary Tenaglia, 65, of Rochester, who was charged last year and accused of defrauding the Wayne County Airport Authority of $1.5 million.

Warner allegedly gave Tenaglia inside information so the contractor's company, Envision Electric, could win contracts. In return, Warner received 10 percent of each invoice, prosecutors said.

During one dinner, Warner and Tenaglia discussed contracts and kickbacks, prosecutors said.

"During the meal, James Warner wrote '5k,' a proposed kickback amount, on a napkin," prosecutors wrote in the indictment. "He folded it and slid it across the table to Gary Tenaglia. After Gary Tenaglia acknowledged the meaning of the writing on the napkin, James Warner retrieved the napkin and ate it."

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Cocktails & Popcorn: FBI Raids Taylor Again - Need More 'Jezynówka'

Need more jezy!

There will be more because we are not yet in Detroit.

Remember, the Wayne Country Treasurer for decades was Raymond Wojtowitcz, from Hamtramck, but hey, what do I know?

I know I learned form him about setting up fake ass child welfare NGOs with the state for $25.00 then selling them to a foreign  Corporate Shape Shifter for $250,000.00 to fund their campaigns.

They used to have lots of meetings in the PIAST Institute then go drink jezy.

Taylor corruption scandal widens with new FBI raids

Federal agents have raided the home and business of a second businessman while investigating Mayor Rick Sollars for racketeering, bribery, wire fraud and money laundering, The Detroit News has learned.

The raids Wednesday at the West Bloomfield Township home of Hadir "Dave" Altoon and his Taylor party store Dominick's Market represent the latest expansion of a public corruption investigation that burst into view in February during a series of daylight raids at Taylor City Hall, the mayor's house and other locations.

It is unclear why FBI agents are interested in Altoon, 47, but the businessman has contributed to Sollars' political campaign and acquired foreclosed homes that were owned by the city and initially purchased by real estate investor Shady Awad, who also is being investigated by the FBI.

Hadir Altoon's store Dominck's Market in Taylor
Small world, another tale..

An FBI spokeswoman confirmed the Altoon searches Wednesday, and another raid at Taylor City Hall two weeks ago, but declined to comment further. Altoon declined to discuss the searches.

Taylor corruption probe leads to businessman

"I have no comment right now," Altoon told The News on Monday. "I’m busy working."

His work includes donating to Sollars' re-election campaigns and flipping foreclosed homes once owned by the city of Taylor for profit.

Companies affiliated with Altoon have bought more than a half a dozen Taylor properties from Awad, according to property records. The tax foreclosed homes were originally taken by the city of Taylor through the Wayne County Treasurer’s right of refusal program and sold to Awad to rehab. Typically, Awad and other developers have to pay the city the property’s back taxes.

That includes a home on Harold Street. Awad’s company had to pay a little over $3,000 to the city of Taylor for the 700-square-foot ranch in the summer of 2018, according to its contract with the city.

Awad’s company then sold it to Altoon’s company in late 2018 for $10, according to Wayne County Register of Deeds records.

In February 2019, Altoon sold the home for $54,900.

Since 2016, Altoon and employees of his Taylor party store have contributed at least $4,000 to Sollars' political campaign, according to Wayne County campaign finance statements.

The Altoon raids came more than one month after The News revealed that FBI agents seized more than $206,000 from Sollars' home. Federal prosecutors want to seize the mayor's home and vacation chalet in Lenawee County and have filed liens to have the approximately $600,000 worth of real estate forfeited to the government upon conviction.

No one has been charged during the ongoing investigation. Sollars has professed his innocence and remains in office.

Awad's home and office were searched by federal agents in February.

Rick Sollars and his cute little foreign "Arm".

Awad and his company Realty Transition work with Taylor and other municipalities to rehabilitate hundreds of foreclosed and distressed properties. Realty Transition is active in at least 15 local communities, including Detroit, Canton Township, Dearborn, Ecorse, Melvindale, Romulus, Southgate, Westland and Wyandotte, according to the company's website.

Sollars touted the city's partnership with Realty Transition in 2015 as a way to revitalize 95 tax-foreclosed properties. The city purchases properties and transfers the homes to developers, including Realty Transition, which restores the properties before renting or selling them.

“This is a program to help protect the residents and the neighborhoods of the city of Taylor,” Sollars said in 2015.

Awad's lawyer Mayer Morganroth was unaware of the FBI raids involving Altoon.

“All I can say is Shady Awad didn’t do anything wrong,” Morganroth told The News. “In the final analysis, he lost money doing these jobs.”

City spokesman Karl Ziomek said officials continue to cooperate with the FBI probe.

"Perp-selfies", the new cyber perp walk.

“The FBI was in here last week, and that’s always uncomfortable to a certain extent, but the reality is, this is still an ongoing investigation, and we don’t know when it’s going to end,” Ziomek said. “... We cooperated with them the first time they came, and we cooperated with them last week, and will continue to do so.”

As the federal investigation moves forward, a city councilman is asking why a Taylor police corporal who was suspended days after the City Hall raid in February is getting paid “to sit at home doing nothing.”

Taylor scandal widens amid FBI corruption probe

City Councilman Butch Ramik last month sent two emails to Sollars and other city officials, questioning why Cpl. Matthew Minard is being paid while serving his suspension.

“It could be assumed that (Minard) … is being investigated by the FBI,” Ramik wrote in an April 9 email to city officials. “We are short police officers and need all we have working.”

Matthew Minard,
in need of a shot of 'Jezy'

On April 30, Ramik sent a follow-up email about Minard: “It is my understanding he is retiring soon and while he is on suspension has been going on vacations on taxpayer money.

Ramik wrote. “His vacation time and other benefits are being paid by the taxpayer. If he is going to stay home then stop paying him and when he is cleared of any wrong doing then pay him his back pay.”

Ramik told The Detroit News: “If the mayor’s position is that Minard should be suspended because he’s under FBI investigation, then why didn’t the mayor suspend himself?”

Ziomek said that’s an apples-to-oranges comparison.

“I respect Councilman Ramik’s position, and he has every right to question what he wants, but the reality is, we have an officer on leave, per our negotiated contract (with the Police Officers Association of Michigan union).

"Any time one of our officers is being investigated by another law enforcement agency, the contract says we must suspend them, because from an ethical standpoint, it makes sense," Ziomek said. "You don’t want to create a conflict if you have an officer who’s working while he’s under investigation, and he deals with that same agency that’s investigating him.

“To compare the officer to an elected official, I don’t think there’s a parallel, when you have union rules you have to follow,” Ziomek said. “It’s a cut-and-dried issue.”

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Cocktails & Popcorn: Wayne County Treasurer & Prosecutor - Gerrymandering In Office

"The Elected Ones" do this all the time.

The Wayne County Treasurer's Office has the Wayne County Property Deed Fraud Unit.

Becky (said like a 1980s valley girl) Camargo, used to run the Wayne County Property Deed Fraud Unit, through the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, but did nothing.

Well, actually, Becky was working with Mike Duggan when he was Wayne County Prosecutor, but she ended up getting the Principal Attorney position at the Detroit Land Bank Authority when Duggan was elected Mayor, but that is just a coincidence.

Becky was still running the show over there with the Wayne County Property Deed Fraud Unit having properties sent over to the Detroit Land Bank Authority.

Becky had to leave Detroit Land Bank Authority, but now she is representing the contractors of her former Ham Sandwich, for I have no other term for DLBA because it never incorporated, so I have no idea how she was even hired, cashed her checks, and legally represented  it.

Kym Worthy is the Wayne County Prosecutor, now.

Kym may have a conflict of interest when it comes to prosecuting "The Elected Ones" who have ended up getting Detroit Land Bank Authority and Wayne County Tax Foreclosure Auction properties, but hey, what do I know?

I know Benny Napoleon is the Wayne County Sherrif.

And I know this is another form of gerrymandering.

And I know Garlin Gilchrist falls into the grouping of "The Elected Ones", too!

I also know alot about Raymond Wojtowicz, former Wayne County Treasurer because he used to hang out at the Piast Institute and Brendan Dunleavy used to have a lot to say, but no one would listen to him but me.

FBI scrutinizes Sabree property dealings; family underpaid taxes

Wayne County Treasurer Eric Sabree speaks from outside
his Detroit residence on Thursday August 31, 2017

The FBI is looking into land deals by the family of Wayne County Treasurer Eric Sabree, including an allegation that interest and penalties were waived on his son's delinquent properties, The Detroit News has learned.

Investigators have contacted a former Sabree staff member who complained to human resources about suspicious activity on the accounts of Sabree family properties, according to two sources familiar with the federal review.

They would only speak on the condition of anonymity.

Sabree's lawyer said he was not aware of an FBI investigation, but he said it was discovered in 2017 that the treasurer's family underpaid taxes on their delinquent property bills by $13,000, which is around the time of events the former staffer describes in her complaint.

Thomas attributed the shortfall to a mistake by Sabree's staff involving about a dozen family properties. The treasurer's wife paid the bills on May 24, 2017 shortly after they were recalculated, he said.

“It is our position that nothing inappropriate was done by Mr. Sabree,” said attorney Philip Thomas. “It was a mistake.”

The disclosures of a federal inquiry and irregularities with his family's properties come amid a Wayne County ethics board review of Sabree's activities. It was sparked by a Detroit News investigation that among other findings,showed a company Sabree founded and his wife participated in the county's tax foreclosure auction in violation of county rules.

Sabree responded to the ethics complaint earlier this week, denying any conflict of interest but expressing regret for his wife's purchases that may appear to run afoul of county policy.

His lawyer said Friday that he didn't know how the miscalculation of $13,000 with properties tied to Sabree happened or who found it. He said he was still gathering information and wasn't sure how far back the debt went back. Some of the properties included vacant lots on Wyoming and houses in Harper Woods, Thomas said, which Sabree's wife purchased from the annual tax auction.

The News asked Friday for a copy of the payment receipt, but Thomas declined to supply it because it contained his notes.

Sabree joined the office in 2011 as a deputy and has been treasurer since 2016. He makes $115,891 a year.

It is unclear if the FBI has launched a full investigation. FBI Special Agent Mara Schneider would neither confirm nor deny the existence of an investigation or discuss the bureau’s interest in the real estate dealings.

The News' investigation found, through multiple Freedom of Information Act requests, other county sales involving his son and nephew, along with family properties purchased at auction that later racked up enough tax debt that they could have been seized but weren't.

The former staffer sent a complaint in February 2018 detailing the allegations to Steve Mahlin, Wayne County's director of the county's personnel and human resources department, which The News obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.

The former clerical employee alleges that Sabree requested she reapply interest and penalties to his son's delinquent properties.

"Once I started to process a few, I noticed it was for his son," the woman wrote in the email. "This made me very uncomfortable."

Sabree later gave her an explanation of "why he waived" the interest and penalties, but "I didn't believe it," she wrote.

"I told him all I wanted was not to be asked to do something like this in the future."

The staffer's complaint was referred to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, which determined it had a conflict of interest. The treasurer's office funds the prosecutor's office.

The employee wasn't sent notice of that decision until a year later, the same day The News published the investigation into Sabree's family real estate dealings.

The prosecutor's office sent her a letter detailing their belief of a conflict of interest and recommending she contact the Michigan State Police. The number they suggested she call was a fax number.  

The former staffer sent the complaint to human resources after she put in a request to rejoin the treasurer's office and was denied, in part because she was told she had confrontations with coworkers. She had left the office for another job but it didn't pan out, she wrote.

The former staffer said in the complaint that she believed she was blocked from returning because she expressed concern over Sabree's son's interest and penalties.

Sabree's lawyer, Thomas, said he wasn’t aware of the specific allegation by the female staffer regarding Sabree’s son’s properties.

Taxes are often recalculated at the treasurer’s office to correct mistakes, Thomas said.

"Mistakes happen everywhere, in every office, everyday," said Thomas, who has been retained personally by Sabree and is not being paid through county funds.

Former Chief Deputy David Szymanski said that the correction of "clerical errors are not unusual" in the office, for example if a property mistakenly had a principal residency exemption reserved for owner occupants. 

Jerry Paffendorf, a critic of the annual auction and co-founder of Loveland Technologies which has studied the effects of foreclosure, said the Sabrees' family real estate transactions further erode trust in what he called a flawed process. 

"There has been a loss of trust for a long time," Paffendorf said. "There is not a consistent policy on why properties are foreclosed or not. ... I hope this is a gateway to a wider investigation that (the county isn't) following the law. "

The auction is controversial because the county seizes properties with delinquent tax bills and resells them to the highest bidder, a process that costs homeowners their equity and increases the risks associated with speculation.

Thomas said he doesn't want to comment on specifics about the pending ethics board review but said that Sabree is an “honest man.”

“I don’t think there is a shred of evidence to show he participated in improper conduct as Treasurer,” Thomas said. “Every allegation has turned out to be completely and utterly false. I haven’t seen any allegation that is troubling to me.

“There is an explanation for everything.”

County rules ban family members of Treasurer’s Office employees from participating in the auction, which seizes properties from delinquent taxpayers and resells them to the highest bidder.  Sabree has said the family ban was removed in 2015 and 2016 but is not sure why it was reinstated in 2017 and 2018.

The Detroit News investigation found that a company Sabree formed in 2002, which he says is now run by his wife, bought three Harper Woods homes from the auction in 2011, when he was deputy treasurer coordinating the sale. Sabree’s son Yusuf now lives in one of the homes; the other two are owned by the company Sabree formed. That company, U.S. Development Services LLC, later violated a requirement that tax payments for the homes remain current for at least two years.

Sabree’s son Adam, an attorney, was listed as a successful bidder for a Detroit home in 2017, although he said that it was an error probably caused by him helping a client register to bid. Both Adam and his brother Yusuf were registered bidders in 2016, although county records don’t suggest they were successful in purchasing property that year, The News found.

The investigation also found that 10 properties owned by Sabree, his wife or U.S. Development owed nearly $29,000 in delinquent taxes as of November, debts that were paid off 10 days after The News made inquiries about them. One of those properties by law should have been resold at auction because of the debt, but was not because of an error, Sabree said.

Wayne County Executive Warren Evans filed an ethics complaint against Sabree citing articles by The News and Detroit Free Press on the real estate dealings, which he called "extremely troubling."  County Commission Chairwoman Alisha Bell requested the commission's Auditor General start its regular audit of Sabree's office several months early to look into the real estate deals. 

The Wayne County Ethics Board's next meeting is March 20, but it's not clear if they will publicly review Evans complaint then. Sabree responded to the complaint on Monday.

In the response, Thomas reiterated earlier denials to The News that that there was any conflict of interest in the family real estate dealings and blamed Sabree's political enemies.

"He truly regrets this situation which has allowed his political adversaries to peck through his past for ammunition to use against him in an attempt to belittle the job he has done as Deputy Treasurer and more recently as the Treasurer," the written response reads. "He is genuinely sorrowful for the shadow that the media reports have cast over his distinguished career."

The activist group, Coalition to End Unconstitutional Tax Foreclosures, has called for the ethics board to investigate as well.

"Given that the Wayne County Treasurer’s office has foreclosed on one in four Detroit properties from 2011 to 2015, the problem is systemic," the group's statement reads. "If in fact systemic violations are discovered, this will support the Coalition’s call for a moratorium on selling owner-occupied homes in the tax foreclosure auction."

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