Appeals court affirms conviction of drunken pilot in Traverse City
TRAVERSE CITY (AP) — An appeals court has affirmed the conviction of a co-pilot who was drunk before a flight at a northern Michigan airport.
There's no dispute that Sean Fitzgerald's blood-alcohol level was far beyond the legal limit. The issue for the federal court was whether Fitzgerald was operating the aircraft.
He was in the cockpit, but the Talon Air plane still was parked at the Traverse City airport.
In a 2-1 opinion, the appeals court says the plane didn't have to leave the ground for Fitzgerald to violate the law. The court, citing a dictionary, says to "operate" something is to run or control its functions.
In dissent, Judge Richard Griffin says he would have thrown out Fitzgerald's conviction. Fitzgerald was sentenced last year to a year in prison.
Detroit-area health CEO pleads guilty in health fraud scheme
DETROIT (AP) — A former Detroit-area health care company CEO has pleaded guilty in an investigation into what federal authorities describe as scheme to illegally distribute controlled substances to drug addicts and others.
The Justice Department says Mashiyat Rashid, 38, of West Bloomfield, who led the Tri-County Wellness Group of medical providers in Michigan and Ohio, pleaded guilty
Monday to charges including conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud.
Prosecutors say he paid kickbacks to obtain patients and solicited bribes for physicians to refer Medicare beneficiaries.
Rashid agreed to forfeit more than $51 million as part of his plea agreement. Sentencing is April 11.
Company proposes immigration detention center in Michigan
IONIA (AP) — A company has proposed opening a privately operated federal immigration detention center at the site of a Michigan prison that was closed in 2009.
The Detroit Free Press reports Immigration Centers of America, which operates a detention facility in Farmville, Virginia, was the sole bidder for the former Deerfield Correctional Facility in Ionia.
The newspaper says the $35 million facility would house adult immigrants detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement who haven't been charged with or convicted of criminal offenses.
Dennis Muchmore, a former chief of staff to Gov. Rick Snyder who is now a lobbyist working for the detention center company, says Michigan hasn't approved the sale. He says the federal government also would need to issue a request for a facility to hold about 500-600 detainees.
Supreme Court asked to review abortion law signed by Pence
The law was signed in 2016 when Vice President Mike Pence was Indiana governor. But federal courts have blocked it, saying it violates a woman’s right to end her pregnancy.
Attorney General Curtis Hill on Friday asked the Supreme Court to take the case. He acknowledged a right to abortion but says it’s “not a right to decide which child to bear.”
Ken Falk of the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana says Indiana’s petition is an attempt to infringe on the right to abortion.
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