Dana's Dispatch: abortion pill remains legal, priest pleads guilty, lawyer hotline scam, & more!

[logo]( Officials stress abortion remains legal in Michigan after latest SCOTUS abortion pill ruling Michigan leaders are weighing in following the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that continues nationwide access to the abortion pill mifepristone. The court issued a stay early Friday evening in the court case, Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA, filed by anti-abortion organizations that reversed lower court rulings about when and how the abortion medication should be available. The ruling by the high court means the abortion pill will remain on the market for now without the limitations placed on it by the appeals court. Also speaking out on the ruling was Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. “First things first: abortion remains legal and available in the state of Michigan,” she said. “This ruling may feel like a victory, and it’s certainly not a defeat, but let’s be clear eyed about what transpired. (Friday), was a night where women across this country didn’t lose access to a proven, effective, and safe prescription medication that has been relied upon for twenty years and is currently used in over half of all abortions. While this fight is still far from over, I remain steadfast in my commitment to protect reproductive freedom for women all across our great state.” [READ MORE]( Jon King, Michigan Advance (April 24, 2023) Officials stress abortion remains legal in Michigan after latest SCOTUS abortion pill ruling Retrieved from: [Officials stress abortion remains legal in Michigan after latest SCOTUS abortion pill ruling](   Former Michigan priest pleads guilty in criminal sexual conduct case A former Michigan priest accused of abusing a child in the 1980s has pleaded guilty to first-degree attempted criminal sexual conduct, state officials announced Tuesday. Image courtesy of Office of Michigan Attorney General Vincent DeLorenzo, 84, formerly of Flint, was among the first five priests whom Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel charged in 2019 as part of an ongoing clergy sexual abuse investigation. His guilty plea relates to accusations DeLorenzo sexually assaulted a 5-year-old boy after a funeral service he officiated for the child’s relative in 1987, authorities said in a statement. Michigan’s statute of limitations is suspended when a defendant leaves the state for any reason. DeLorenzo was arrested in 2019 in Marion County, Florida. “Our team continues to work day and night to bring an end to an era of abuse that has hidden in plain sight for far too long and provide justice to those who have suffered years of unimaginable trauma,” Nessel said. “This guilty plea will hopefully close this painful chapter and open the opportunity for much-needed healing for those victimized by DeLorenzo.” [READ MORE]( Mark Hicks, The Detroit News (April 25, 2023) Former Michigan priest pleads guilty in criminal sexual conduct case Retrieved from: [Former Michigan priest pleads guilty in criminal sexual conduct case](   Nessel's office charges contractor with falsely billing Detroit $1M for demolition program Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's office issued charges against a demolition contractor accused of fraudulently billing the city of Detroit for backfill dirt. Howell resident David MacDonald, 50, who was employed by Warren-based Den-Man in 2017, is facing criminal enterprise and 11 false pretense charges for billing Detroit more than $1 million for dirt obtained at no cost from environmentally contaminated sources and then used at demolished properties, according to Nessel's office. MacDonald was employed by Den-Man Contractors to lead the demolition program. His duty was to find backfill dirt for demolition sites that the city paid Den-Man to handle. The contract required Den-Man to find dirt from approved sources and the company was entitled to bill the city for the price of the dirt, according to Nessel's office. MacDonald lied about the source of the dirt and billed the Detroit Land Bank Authority for incorrect fees, according to a news release. Den-Man received $1,148,513.61 for reimbursement for backfill material without incurring those costs. “These crimes, a scam against the people of Detroit and abuse of public funds, amount to public harm for private greed,” Nessel said in a statement. “We have a responsibility to protect public funds from abuse, and to protect already vulnerable neighborhoods from environmental attacks." [READ MORE]( Dana Afana, Detroit Free Press (April 25, 2023) Nessel's office charges contractor with falsely billing Detroit $1M for demolition program Retrieved from: [Nessel's office charges contractor with falsely billing Detroit $1M for demolition program](   ‘This legislation is vital’: Michigan legislators unveil update to hate crime bills A group of Democratic lawmakers introduced legislation to reform and strengthen Michigan’s hate crime laws on Wednesday. Photo courtesy of Matthew Dae Smith/Lansing State Journal West Bloomfield state House Rep. Noah Arbit said Wednesday he and Reps. Kristian Grant, D-Grand Rapids, and Ranjeev Puri, D-Canton, have introduced four bills targeted at updating what protected classes are to be included in the state's hate crime laws, and to make it illegal to target certain religious or cultural properties. The trio dubbed the four bills the Michigan Hate Crime and Institutional Desecration Acts. As of Wednesday, Arbit said they do not have bipartisan support but could gain it through committee. Attorney General Dana Nessel classified the laws as supplemental to the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act that the Michigan Supreme Court and both chambers of government updated to include protections for someone's gender identity and expression, and sexual orientation. She pointed to a Wayne County case, People v. Deonton Rogers, where a trans woman was targeted because of gender identity. Nessel filed a brief in support of the trans woman. Initially, a Wayne County Circuit Court judge dismissed the charge, but it was reinstated and upheld by the state Court of Appeals and Supreme Court that the suspect in the case should be charged with ethnic intimidation. She added revising the law's name to hate crimes makes it a more appropriate term. It also prevents judges from having to reinterpret laws in a hate crime case since the charges are spelled out in the legislation. "There's never officially been a ruling as it pertains to sexual orientation, and certainly this adds other classes as well, in addition to those," she said. "It's very important because such a large number of people are targeted based on their status as an LGBTQ+ person." [READ MORE]( Krystal Nurse, Lansing State Journal (April 26, 2023) ‘This legislation is vital’: Michigan legislators unveil update to hate crime bills Retrieved from: [‘This legislation is vital’: Michigan legislators unveil update to hate crime bills](   Six charged with using lawyer hotline to scam Michigan accident victims Six people have been charged with compounding the pain of Michigan auto accident victims who called the (800) USLawyer hotline by allegedly sending them to doctors for unnecessary medical treatment and prescriptions that resulted in some clients becoming addicted to drugs, the Michigan Attorney General's Office announced Thursday. [[ratio]  ]( Video courtesy of Michigan Attorney General www.youtube.com/@michiganattorneygeneral6351 Michael Angelo, 61, of New Jersey, owned the hotline along with a network of medical companies that allegedly worked together to scam Michigan auto accident victims, according to a Thursday release from the AG's Office detailing the results of a four-year investigation that followed an FBI probe. "Starting in 2013, Angelo ... owned, operated, and controlled a lawyer hotline, 1-800-USLawyer, that he allegedly used as a source of car accident victims for this scheme," the release said. "Angelo and his assistant Ybana Agrelo, also from New Jersey, maintained this hotline and referred the callers to Michigan Accidents Associates, and other law firms Angelo conspired with, for legal representation." From there, it's alleged that the law firms sent clients to be treated at medical companies that were allegedly owned or controlled by Angelo. The companies involved include Mercyland Health Services, Greater Lakes Ambulatory Surgical Center, Tox Testing, Inc. dba Paragon Diagnostics, US Health Pharmaceuticals dba Meds Direct, and 800-USLawyer, according to the AG's Office. Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a written statement: “This type of fraud is not just dangerous to the well-being of accident victims and a drain on the no-fault system; it exploits citizens who may be financially vulnerable and puts them at risk of harm." [READ MORE]( George Hunter, The Detroit News (April 27, 2023) Six charged with using lawyer hotline to scam Michigan accident victims Retrieved from: [Six charged with using lawyer hotline to scam Michigan accident victims](   Lawsuit against Bay Co. contractor for destruction of wetlands The Michigan Department of the Attorney General (AG) and the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) have filed a lawsuit involving the destruction of regulated wetlands in Bay County. The AG’s office said the lawsuit is being filed against P & P Contracting Services, Inc., Prizza Satkowiak, the company’s registered president and director, and Paul Satkowiak, the company’s operator. The company is alleged to have illegally drained surface water from Bay County wetlands and filled nearly five acres of wetlands with harmful sugar beet production waste, among other things, the AG’s office said. The AG’s office said lab results show the activities have injured the surface waters and resulted in the destruction of regulated wetlands and harmful discharge of injurious materials into state waters. Despite EGLE’s directive to stop, the company continued their activities, the AG’s office said. “We depend on our wetlands to filter our drinking water and provide habitat for our wildlife,” Attorney General Dana Nessel said. “It remains our priority to protect the wetlands and the waters of our state. We will not hesitate to hold bad actors accountable who destroy our natural resources for their own personal gain.” [READ MORE]( Hannah Mose, WNEM (April 27, 2023) Lawsuit against Bay Co. contractor for destruction of wetlands Retrieved from: [Lawsuit against Bay Co. contractor for destruction of wetlands](   Lansing police officer accused of ‘price switching’ trading cards, defrauding Meijer of $10K A Lansing police officer has been charged in a retail fraud scheme involving sports trading cards. Gregory Tracy was arraigned Thursday for retail fraud and organized retail fraud, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said. Tracy is alleged to have engaged in a “price switching” scheme in which he switched the price on boxes of sports cards for lesser valued items. He would then allegedly attempt to sell the higher valued cards to others. Through these actions, Tracy is believed to have defrauded Meijer of more than ten thousand dollars, Nessel said. “Instances of organized retail fraud cost Michigan-owned businesses and consumers alike,” Nessel said. “I appreciate the investigative work of both Meijer corporation and the Michigan State Police on this matter. My department began the Organized Retail Crime Unit in 2022 to crack down on this pervasive issue and will continue to hold bad actors accountable.” [READ MORE]( Brandon Champion, MLive (April 28, 2023) Lansing police officer accused of ‘price switching’ trading cards, defrauding Meijer of $10K Retrieved from: [Lansing police officer accused of ‘price switching’ trading cards, defrauding Meijer of $10K](   Wyandotte man pleads no contest to defrauding Veteran Affairs, Michigan Treasury A Wyandotte man pleaded no contest after officials say he defrauded the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs and the Michigan Department of Treasury. According to the Michigan Attorney General's office, 34-year-old Steven Decker was charged with two counts of receiving stolen property valued at $1,000 to $20,000. Decker will be ordered to pay $28,506 restitution, which represents a portion of stolen money, amounting to more than $400,000. Decker's co-defendant, Melissa Flores, received a two-year prison sentence and was ordered to pay $110,000. "My office will continue to vigorously prosecute those who defraud our public agencies. Michigan's taxpayers and service members deserve no less," Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement. "I commend my team in the Financial Crimes Division and their partner agencies for securing this plea for one defendant and ensuring that another defendant be returned to our state to face charges." [READ MORE]( CBS Detroit (April 28, 2023) Wyandotte man pleads no contest to defrauding Veteran Affairs, Michigan Treasury Retrieved from: [Wyandotte man pleads no contest to defrauding Veteran Affairs, Michigan Treasury](   KEEP IN TOUCH WITH DANA: [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Web Site]( Any donor history information in this email reflects what we have on file for this specific email address. If you have donated with a different email address, with a check, or with a spouse – thank you so much. We have that on file and cannot thank you enough for your support. Paid for by Friends of Dana Nessel Friends of Dana Nessel P.O. Box 11141 Lansing, MI 48901 United States If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive email from us, please [unsubscribe](.