Ex-Cop, City Employee Plead Guilty In Illegal Gambling Case
FLAT ROCK (WWJ) - A former Flat Rock police officer and a Trenton city worker have plead guilty to running an illegal gambling operation while working on city time.
The 46-year-old Sgt. Charles Sanders Jr. pleaded guilty to misconduct in office and faces up to five years in jail.
Trenton Public Works employee Kevin Sargent, 35, pleaded guilty to illegal sports betting. He's expected to be put on probation.
The federal investigation showed that over a six year period, Sanders ran an illegal sports betting operation and actually collected cash from losing betters while sitting in his squad car.
Last year, Sargent allegedly accepted the bets on college and pro football games by phone, while Sanders served as "the bank," collecting the money. On one occasion, the FBI said Sanders collected $15,000 from a losing better who drained his retirement account to pay the debt.
"Public officials who seek to conduct illegal gambling operations and use taxpayer resources to facilitate those operations will be brought to justice," said FBI Acting Special Agent In Charge Edward Hanko, in a statement. "The FBI led Detroit area public corruption task force remains committed to stopping those who abuse positions of public trust."
