Former IT director for the City of Fraser pleads in embezzlement case
MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - Michele Kwiatkowski, the former IT Director for the City of Fraser, pled to embezzlement of over $100,000 and will pay restitution to the City of Fraser to resolve her embezzlement case, the Macomb County Prosecuting Attorney announced Tuesday.
From January 2016 through 2020, Kwiatkowski allegedly used the City of Fraser's American Express credit card to purchase personal items, a press release states.
Her sentencing will be delayed under MCL 771.1 for twelve months, the prosecutor's office said.
If Kwiatkowski pays around $90,000 in restitution and complies with all other conditions imposed by the court, her conviction will be amended to a ten-year embezzlement felony and then be sentenced, according to a press release.
The City of Fraser has also requested that her pension be forfeited.
"When those entrusted with the public trust exploit their authority for personal benefit, they betray the very public they are meant to serve. We are committed to holding accountable anyone who breaches this public trust. Acknowledging guilt and pledging restitution is a crucial stride towards atonement," Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido said.