MACOMB TOWNSHIP — In the midst of a string of corruption busts in Macomb County by the federal government, new allegations have recently surfaced against Macomb Township Trustee Dino Bucci. 

Local entrepreneur Eddie Jawad claims Bucci abused his power and threatened to impede his establishment’s business affairs if he did not side with the trustee during his run for re-election. 

Jawad owns 17 gas stations, four of which are located in Macomb Township, and several strip malls across Southeast Michigan. His gas stations are prime locations for candidates to place campaign signs. 

He told The AANews the harassment began when Bucci, a Republican in his fifth, four-year term on the township’s Board of Trustees, was running for re-election four years ago and asked Jawad to place his campaigns signs on his business’ lawns. 

When Jawad refused, he said Bucci’s attitude took a dark turn. He alleged that Bucci invited to meet at his office, took him to a back room and figuratively “twisted his arm.”

“He said to me, “If you support my opponent, if you go against me, if you cross me in Macomb Township, I will make it so hard for you to do business in this town.'” Jawad said.

During a public meeting of the township board in late October, Jawad was undeterred from exposing the alleged incident in front of a crowd and a dismissive Bucci, whom the entrepreneur likened to Saddam Hussein. 

Jawad said he was intimidated and kept quiet for a short while, but the damage had already begun.

Two years ago, Jawad placed an offer to buy a plaza and gas station at 22 Mile and Romeo Plank Road for $2.1 million. He said that shortly after making the offer, Bucci called, asking if he was interested in buying the property. Jawad confirmed this, but did not receive a response. However, he said city code enforcers approached him about several “made up” violations soon after.

Jawad’s development group then allegedly made an interesting discovery— a company called RGD Group LLC bought the property for $379,900.

However, WXYZ channel 7 reported on Nov. 7 that RDG Group’s owner, Guy Rizzo, had no connection with Bucci and that the realtor had bought two parcels at the same corner for $2.2 million, not $379,900. 

Rizzo has no connection to Rizzo Sanitation, which is currently under federal investigation involving a separate scandal for paying off two Macomb Township trustees.

Macomb County deed records show that title for the same address was indeed transferred to RDG Group for the lesser amount in January 2015.

No sale records exist showing Rizzo’s group paid $2.2 million for the parcels.

“Where’s the money?” Jawad asked. “Where are the facts?”

Last month, Bucci was accused of trying to extort $76,000 during a dispute involving a project that never happened over a refund on water and sewer fees.

The accusations landed Bucci and the township in court, where a lawsuit was filed by Gianna Investments, the project’s development company.

According to the lawsuit, Gianna’s co-owner, Michael Magnoli, received a phone call from Bucci asking to  meet with him. The two met that day in a parking lot in Sterling Heights.

That is where Bucci agreed the company should be refunded, but only if he received kick back that was half the refund, according to court documents.

“Mr. Magnoli was offended by such an offer and emphatically refused to engage in such an illegal, secret, dishonest and improper arrangement,” the lawsuit stated.

The suit follows a recent federal indictment of Clinton Township Trustee Dean Reynolds and former Warren City Councilman Charles Busse in a federal complaint of teaming with a U.S. Homeland Security special agent to cheat the deportation process with bribery.

In the Clinton Township trustee’s case, the FBI stated in court records it was part of a wider corruption investigation focused on Macomb County’s municipal government.