DETROIT — A former police officer with the Hamtramck Police Department recently pleaded guilty to taking bribes from a towing company operator, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.

Ison was joined in the Oct. 26 announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, special agent in charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Michael Stout, 61, of St. Clair Shores, resigned from the Hamtramck Police Department in 2020.

But while he was working as a police officer there, Stout accepted bribes, including a vehicle and $1,500 in cash, from a towing company operator. In return, Stout provided information from the Michigan Law Enforcement Information Network (or LEIN), a restricted law enforcement database, to the towing company operator. For instance, when the towing company operator told Stout that he was worried that a police vehicle had been following him, Stout called an unwitting employee to search LEIN so Stout could provide the vehicle’s registration information to the towing company operator and thereby check whether it was a law enforcement vehicle.

Stout pleaded guilty to bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 666. This bribery charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.  Stout is scheduled to be sentenced on February 29 at 1:30 p.m. before United States District Judge Matthew F. Leitman.

“The public needs the commitment of their police officers to uphold the rule of law, not to break it for their own financial gain,” Ison said. “Today’s guilty plea underscores our commitment to ensure that officers who violate the public trust and accept bribes will answer for their crimes.”

“Mr. Stout violated his oath to serve, and his misconduct was a betrayal of the trust placed upon him by the citizens of Hamtramck and his fellow officers,” Gibson said. “It is important to note that his actions do not represent the brave and exceptional work that our law enforcement officers perform daily. The FBI would like to thank Anne Moise, the chief of police in Hamtramck, for her department’s assistance throughout the investigation. The FBI is dedicated to holding corrupt police officers accountable and ensuring that the people of Michigan can have confidence in the integrity of law enforcement.”