New corruption trial date set for activist
DETROIT (AP) — A corruption trial has been moved to February for an activist who has repeatedly sued Gov. Rick Snyder and Detroit officials to stop the use of emergency managers.
Robert Davis is accused of stealing $125,000 from the struggling Highland Park school district.
Federal authorities say he used companies to submit false invoices for payment and then took a cut of the cash while on the school board. Davis says he’s not guilty.
His trial was set for this week but Davis recently got a new lawyer, Doug Mullkoff.
Federal Judge Arthur Tarnow set a new trial date of February 24.
Tarnow says the case is “factually and legally complex,” and Davis’ new lawyer needs time to prepare.
City passes ordinance to ban discrimination
LINDEN (AP) — Another Michigan community has approved an ordinance that would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
The Flint Journal reports City Council in Linden voted recently to approve the ordinance covering employment, housing, public services and other areas.
Mayor David Lossing says the ordinance in the Flint-area community wasn’t in response to any particular concern or complaint. Lossing says he hopes to see a state law passed that would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
A violation of the ordinance is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $500 or 90 days in the county jail.
It’s scheduled to take effect later this year.
Man sentenced for $10M Medicare fraud
DETROIT (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department says a judge has sentenced a Detroit-area home health care business operator to four years, two months in prison for his role in a $10.8 million Medicare fraud scheme.
The department says that 53-year-old Muhammad Shahab was the leader of the fraud scheme that operated in 2007-2009 and says that U.S. District Judge Denise week.
It says Shahab pleaded guilty in February 2010 to one count of health care fraud.
The government says Shahab helped finance and establish two home health agencies and conspired to bill Medicare for home health visits that never occurred.
It says he also secured physician referrals for medically unnecessary home health services through the payment of kickbacks.
Legislators back off fight over gun laws
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri legislators who appeared locked and loaded for a high-stakes fight with U.S. officials over gun-control policies backed away from a showdown at the last moment by sustaining a veto of a bill attempting to invalidate certain federal firearms laws.
The Republican-backed bill ultimately was doomed by the top GOP leaders of the state Senate, who cited concerns that the measure could have hindered local law enforcement efforts and infringed on free-speech rights.
Senators voted 22-12 for the veto override Wednesday night, falling a single vote shy of the required two-thirds majority.
The legislation had declared that any federal policies that “infringe on the people’s right to keep and bear arms” shall be invalid in Missouri.
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