(No caption)
Macomb Township Trustee Dino Bucci
Macomb County is a target-rich environment for the FBI's public corruption probe into pay-to-play contracts with municipalities.
While the feds have indicted several politicians and business people in kickback schemes involving garbage collection contracts, they have yet to charge Dino Bucci, one of the targets. He quit his $75,000 a year job at the Macomb County Public Works Department in February after voters booted his longtime boss, Anthony Marrocco. Candice Miller took over as public works commissioner.
Bucci remains a Macomb Township trustee.
A February letter from Miller, now made public, shows the FBI has damaging info on Bucci, reports Tresa Baldas of the Detroit Free Press. Miller tells Bucci that he is under investigation for "corruption, extortion, bullying and unethical behavior."
Among allegations in the letter:
- While at Public Works, Bucci told contractors who were owed money from the county that they would not get paid until they spoke to Marrocco directly and contributed to his fund-raisers.
- Over the past seven years, Bucci directed employees to perform numerous tasks while on county time and while using county equipment, including: removing snow from Bucci's home and the homes of his mother, other relatives, friends and an unnamed Macomb Township official; performing landscaping projects at his home, and moving furniture from his basement.
- Bucci had Public Works employees move the personal belongings of a female acquaintance from Ohio to Michigan.
- Bucci authorized the use of county cell phones for his family members
To date, the FBI probe has resulted in criminal charges against 14 people, including a contractor who allegedly paid $66,000 in cash kickbacks to Bucci.
