Former Detroit police officer pleads guilty to accepting bribes

Bribery | Stock photo by Pixabay/Pexels

Former Detroit Police Officer Michael Mosley, age 48, pleaded guilty today before the Hon. George Caram Steeh to bribery for taking $15,000 in cash bribes from a drug trafficker, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider.  The guilty plea announced today is the result of an idictment that this blog reported on last August.

Joining Schneider in the announcement was Steven M. D’Antuono, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Mosley was a 19-year veteran of the Detroit Police Department. In April 2019, he was a member of the  Department’s Major Violators Unit.  On April 3, 2019, Detroit police officers, including Mosley, searched a drug trafficker’s house pursuant to a search warrant.  The search uncovered two kilograms of heroin, one kilogram of cocaine, and six firearms.  The drug trafficker confessed to owning the three kilograms of drugs to Mosley, and the trafficker signed a confession.  After the April 3 search, Mosley remained in contact with the drug trafficker in an effort to secure the trafficker’s cooperation concerning other criminal activity.

Subsequently, the drug trafficker offered Mosley a cash bribe of $15,000 in exchange for not pursuing criminal charges based on the three kilogram drug seizure and he agreed to the deal.  On May 2, 2019, Mosley collected $10,000 in cash that the drug dealer left for Mosley in the backyard of an abandoned house in Detroit.  On May 23, 2019, Mosley accepted another $5,000 in cash left for him by the drug trafficker at the abandoned house.  In exchange, he gave the drug trafficker the original copy of his confession. 

In addition to pleading guilty to one count of bribery, Mosley will be forfeiting the $15,000 he took in bribes.

U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider commended the outstanding work of the FBI in conducting this criminal investigation of a corrupt police officer.

“It’s rare that a police officer commits a crime, but in this case Officer Mosley betrayed his oath as a police officer, and he betrayed the citizens of Detroit and the vast majority of his fellow officers who seek to protect and serve with integrity,” stated Schneider.  “This prosecution demonstrates that we will not tolerate public officials who abuse their authority and seek to use their power to line their own pockets.”

 “The citizens of Detroit deserve better from their public servants. Wrongdoing by police officers undermines the public's trust and confidence in law enforcement officers who are sworn to defend and uphold the law,” said D’Antuono. “The men and women of the Detroit Police Department are dedicated to serving this community and misconduct by one of its officers is not a reflection of the entire force. However, the FBI will do everything in its power to bring corrupt police officers to justice and to restore faith in the integrity of law enforcement throughout the city.”

The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Resnick Cohen, David A. Gardey, and Shankar Ramamurthy.