People
Municipal Fraud Investigation and Civil RICO Litigation
On behalf of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department ("DWSD"), Miller Canfield conducted an investigation of the charges set forth in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury under the auspices of the United States Department of Justice alleging public corruption and other wrongful conduct involving the Kwame Kilpatrick mayoral administration and various DWSD contractors and vendors. As a result of its investigation, Miller Canfield filed in federal court on behalf of the City of Detroit (including DWSD) a civil RICO action against approximately 20 defendant companies and individuals, alleging civil RICO violations, including bribery, extortion, obstruction of justice, mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering and other charges. After protracted discovery and motion practice, the civil RICO action was eventually settled against a number of the defendants for substantial sums of money. In connection with its work for DWSD, Miller Canfield also drafted the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department Suspension and Debarment Policy, which governs contractual relations between DWSD and its contractors and vendors.