Hamtramck City Manager Max Garbarino’s decision to place Police Chief Jamiel Altaheri on temporary administrative leave pending investigations into serious misconduct allegations has sparked a wave of controversy across social media. Supporters of Altaheri, who is of Yemeni descent, denounced the move as retaliatory and unprofessional. Garbarino, however, denied such claims, asserting that the decision was a standard administrative procedure. In a statement released ahead of a special City Council meeting on Friday (at the time of this edition’s publication), Garbarino warned against any attempt to remove him from his position — a role he has held for more than 20 years.

Speaking to the Detroit News, Garbarino confirmed that Altaheri and another, unnamed officer were both placed on administrative leave Wednesday over alleged violations of city policy. He stated that the city has already hired an outside firm to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation.

Garbarino clarified that both Altaheri and the other officer will remain on the payroll during the leave and emphasized that the move was not motivated by retaliation, contrary to circulating media claims.

“There is absolutely no basis to consider this action retaliatory in any way,” he said, adding that Deputy Police Chief Andrew Mileski will take over departmental leadership during the investigation.

Meanwhile, The Arab American News has obtained a copy of a memo submitted by a Hamtramck police officer to Lt. Ed Price of the Michigan State Police. The memo accuses Chief Altaheri of “potential violations of city policy, administrative and legal misconduct and behavior that undermines public trust and the professional oath of law enforcement officers in Michigan.”

Hamtramck City Manager Max Garbarino. – File photo

“This letter is a follow-up to our meeting at the Michigan State Police District 2 headquarters,” the memo reads. “It summarizes events and information I witnessed or learned while serving under Chief Jamiel Altaheri.”

The reported incidents span from September 2024 through May 2025 and, according to the officer, suggest a pattern of behavior aimed at shielding Altaheri’s personal interests and concealing sensitive information with help from individuals within the department.

The memo outlines a series of serious allegations casting doubt on Altaheri’s integrity and fitness to serve, including repeated incidents of domestic violence involving his “partner, Mariam.” Officers reportedly responded to multiple calls from Altaheri’s residence, but he allegedly instructed them not to file official reports. In one incident, Mariam claimed he assaulted her during a cruise, leaving her stranded at a port after discovering he was involved with a local schoolteacher. The officer’s wife reportedly recorded audio capturing references to punches to the head and abdomen.

The memo also accuses Altaheri of conspiring to solicit a presidential pardon for a convicted businessman in exchange for between $1 million and $5 million to be routed through President Trump via an intermediary identified as Mark Zarkin. Altaheri allegedly stood to receive a 10 percent cut. The memo claims the officer was present at related meetings held in local restaurants, alongside individuals named Ibrahim Aljahim and Ralph.

In another instance, Altaheri allegedly issued a fraudulent police ID card identifying Zarkin as “general manager” despite the fact that Zarkin held no official position within the department — a serious breach of legal and ethical standards.

The officer also detailed how Altaheri assisted in the retrieval of a stolen Mercedes-Benz vehicle in Dearborn. According to the memo, instead of notifying local police, Altaheri instructed the officer to use an unmarked police car to move the vehicle to Altaheri’s home in Livonia, where it was hidden. A New York Police Department investigator had confirmed the vehicle was reported stolen.

Politically, the memo claims Altaheri sought to interfere in local elections, allegedly pressuring for the city manager’s dismissal out of revenge, conspiring with an individual known as “Hass Cash” (Hassan Aoun) to cause disruptions during official meetings, leaking sensitive information to compromised Council members, and misleading authorities about the officer’s role in certain investigations.

On the issue of suspicious financial activity, the memo alleges that Altaheri requested the officer solicit between $40,000 and $50,000 from a local business owner to fund a podcast called “The Chief’s Corner”, proposing they split the profits if the project succeeded.

The officer concluded the memo by stating he had notified City Manager Garbarino and the city attorney on April 19, and that in May they instructed him to report the matter to the FBI and the Michigan State Police. The memo warned that Altaheri often uses WhatsApp for communication, raising concerns about evidence tampering or loss.

Late Thursday night, Garbarino issued a statement, a copy of which was sent to The Arab American News via email, confirming that the City Council had scheduled a special meeting for Friday at 4 p.m. to consider terminating him after more than two decades of “dedicated service,” as he phrased it.

“Let me be absolutely clear: any such action would be retaliatory, unlawful and a blatant abuse of power,” he said.

“Over the past two months, I’ve taken appropriate and responsible steps to address credible allegations of unlawful and unethical conduct within our police department and among elected officials,” Garbarino said. “Due to the serious nature of these allegations, I have involved outside law enforcement agencies to ensure impartiality and maintain the integrity of any investigation. This is a standard practice for officials in my position, designed to ensure fairness to all involved and to preserve the credibility of findings.

“I have recently received additional credible evidence regarding misconduct by city official,” he added. “I have refused to look the other way and referred these matters to the appropriate authorities.”

Garbarino argued that the City Council’s apparent push to remove him had nothing to do with job performance, but rather stemmed from:

• His calls for formal investigations into widespread violations of the Hamtramck City Charter and state election laws
• His refusal to comply with an illegal Council request to fire the city clerk
• An ongoing criminal probe by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel into alleged violations by Council members related to campaign eligibility.

“These very Council members, now facing potential felony charges, are seeking to remove the one person who refused to compromise integrity to shield their misconduct: me,” Garbarino said. “This is obstruction of justice.  This is an attempt to intimidate me as a witness to some of the allegations being investigated.”

He warned that any attempt to remove him would expose the city to significant legal liability, including wrongful termination, unlawful retaliation and civil rights violations.

“While I have no desire to sue the city of Hamtramck, and I remain committed to serving our residents with integrity and professionalism, I will pursue all appropriate legal avenues to defend my name and hold those who abuse their public office accountable.”

Garbarino concluded his statement with a direct appeal to Mayor Amer Ghalib.

“I make a specific plea to Mayor Ghalib, who is soon to represent our country as ambassador to Kuwait. Sir, this moment demands the judgment, principle and leadership expected of a diplomat serving our nation abroad. You must act now to stop this dangerous political sideshow before it causes further harm to the credibility of our city government — something I am fighting with all my might to preserve and restore. This moment demands moral courage and responsibility, not silence.”