A former Washtenaw County Sheriff Correction Deputy charged with misconduct in office will face trial and an added charge following a preliminary exam this week, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Wednesday.
On Monday, Judge Cedric Simpson of the 14A-1 District Court in Ann Arbor bound Kenric Mukrdechian over for trial in the Washtenaw County Circuit Court.
After hearing testimony at the preliminary examination, the court not only found enough probable cause on the one count of misconduct in office originally charged, but added an additional count of misconduct in office. The two counts are five-year felonies.
“I appreciate Judge Simpson’s recognition of the seriousness of these allegations by adding an additional count against Mr. Mukrdechian,” Nessel said. “In instances where officers abuse their power and therefore disrespect the public trust, our team stands ready to ensure accountability.”
The charges stem from an incident in October 2018, when Mukrdechian was working an overnight shift as a Washtenaw County Sheriff Correction Deputy at the county jail. His duties that night included supervising two female inmates. During the course of his shift, he snuck them pizza; shortly after he asked the victim to expose herself, and she complied. He asked her to expose herself again a short time later. Again, she complied.
Initially, a three-count misdemeanor complaint was issued by the Washtenaw County Prosecutor in August 2020. Shortly thereafter, new Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eil Savit requested a special prosecutor appointment as the case was against local law enforcement.
The Department of Attorney General was appointed to handle the case in April 2021. After a review of the case, the original misdemeanor counts were dismissed and in May, the defendant was charged instead with one count of misconduct in office by a public official.
Mukrdechian is scheduled to appear next before Judge Patrick Conlin in Washtenaw County Circuit Court on Jan. 24.
At the request of the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office, the Michigan Sheriffs’ Association MISSION team conducted the investigation that led to these charges.
