Three people were charged in relation to the investigation of former Detroit City Councilman Alonzo Bates, United States Attorney Stephen J. Murphy announced today. Britni Barber, 25, of Atlanta, Georgia, was charged by information with theft of government property in relation to her receiving payments from the City of Detroit for working for Bates while she was actually attending school in New York City. The theft occurred between January and October of 2004. Michael Rosett, 69, of Farmington Hills, was charged with misprision of a felony for failing to report a bribe allegedly paid to Bates by his former employer, Filmore Construction Company, a Detroit City contractor, in December of 2002. Also charged today was Verenda Arnold, 47, of Detroit. Arnold was charged with theft of government property for being paid by the City of Detroit to work for Bates at times she was actually working for an area hospital. If convicted, Rosett faces up to 3 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Barber and Arnold face up to a year in prison and a fine of $100,000

Murphy was joined in the announcement by Daniel D. Roberts, Special Agent In Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Maurice Aouate, Special Agent In Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations Division, and Detroit Police Chief Ella M. Bully-Cummings.

Daniel D. Roberts, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Detroit, Michigan advised, “Rooting out public corruption is exceptionally difficult but it is a mission for which the FBI is well positioned to investigate. Public corruption is the FBI’s top criminal investigative priority and we will continue to aggressively investigate those public officials - both elected and appointed - who abuse their office for personal gain.”

The investigation leading up to the indictment was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations Division and the Detroit Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Michael Bullotta.