Dana's Dispatch: Sexual Assault Kit Initiative charges, Ottawa County sanctions, misleading mailings, & more

[logo]( DNA testing on sex assault evidence in 2013 rape leads to charges for 2 DNA evidence from a 2013 rape of a woman in Ypsilanti has led to charges against two men, one from Flint and the other from Taylor. Photo courtesy of the Office of Michigan Attorney General Douglas Johnson IV, 33, of Flint, and Rapheal Holman, 32, of Taylor, are each charged with four counts of sex assault, including first-degree criminal sexual conduct. Prosecutors with the state Attorney General’s Office said the charges stem from an April 2013 gathering in Ypsilanti. The victim told police at the time that she fell asleep on a couch and awoke in the morning without any pants. She was concerned she had been sexually assaulted so she went to a hospital to be examined and have any evidence preserved by a sexual assault kit . A state project to test old rape kits yielded the DNA link to Johnson and Holman, prosecutors said. The Washtenaw County Sexual Assault Kit Initiative and state Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office were involved in the case. “Ten years after this assault we are still able to bring charges, and I want other survivors out there to see that,” Nessel said in a prepared statement. “That is possible because of the tremendous work and determination of teams like the Washtenaw SAKI team, whose efforts I am grateful for and applaud.” [READ MORE]( John Tunison, MLive (April 28, 2023) DNA testing on sex assault evidence in 2013 rape leads to charges for 2 Retrieved from: [DNA testing on sex assault evidence in 2013 rape leads to charges for 2](   Man charged with 2013 rape at Western Michigan University Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Wednesday that a man was arraigned last week for raping a Western Michigan University student in 2013. 29-year-old Caleb Watson of Milford faces four counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of assault with intent to commit penetration. The AG’s office says the assault happened in the 18-year-old victim’s dorm room. The charges against Watson stem from a lengthy investigation by the Kalamazoo County Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI), which is a partnership between the Michigan Attorney General’s Office, the Kalamazoo County Prosecutor’s Office and the YWCA of Kalamazoo. “The work of our department, in collaboration with the SAKI units in Kalamazoo and elsewhere, continues to show sexual assault survivors that justice is still a viable pursuit, even ten years on,” Nessel added. “Our hope and goal is that this pursuit leads to aid the healing process for victims. Investigations, charges, convictions; these are important elements of a broader process of securing justice and helping victims to recover.” [READ MORE]( Megan Viecelli, Fox 17 West Michigan (May 3, 2023) Man charged with 2013 rape at Western Michigan University Retrieved from: [Man charged with 2013 rape at Western Michigan University](   Man ordered to trial in 1982 disappearance, death of Ann Arbor baby A man who police believe kidnapped and killed his 8-month-old baby was bound over to trial this week, decades after the child disappeared. Photo courtesy of NamUs (Fox 2 Detroit) According to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, Isiah Williams, 76, had a fight with the mother of 8-month-old Olisa Williams on April 29, 1982, in Ohio. He is accused of taking Olisa from her mother's arms and fleeing. Authorities say Isiah brought Olisa to Michigan, where she was last seen alive that summer with him. Investigators never found Olisa, and they believe she is dead. Ann Arbor police requested the Department of the Attorney General review the case in early 2021, and open-murder charge was brought against Isiah, who lives in Chicago, in October of that year. A lengthy extradition process followed. "The disappearance of Olisa Williams is a tragedy in so many ways, but I am proud of our department’s commitment to seek justice in cold case homicides and deliver difficult charges despite intervening decades," said Nessel. "I am grateful for the work of multiple law enforcement units over the last several decades that ultimately lead to these charges after forty years, and for the determination of Olisa’s mother who has never given up her pursuit of justice for her daughter." [READ MORE]( Amber Ainsworth, Fox 2 Detroit (May 4, 2023) Man ordered to trial in 1982 disappearance, death of Ann Arbor baby Retrieved from: [Man ordered to trial in 1982 disappearance, death of Ann Arbor baby](   Judge sanctions Ottawa County for allegedly delaying opioid settlement A judge has sanctioned the Ottawa County government for allegedly forestalling the $81 million distribution of opioid settlement funds. Photo courtesy of Fox 17 The Michigan Department of Attorney General says the county issued a complaint asserting they are entitled to more compensation than they are owed. We’re told this came after county officials agreed to settlement terms. Ottawa County submitted misleading claims and frivolous court documents based on false information, according to the state. A Third Circuit Court sanctioned the county as a result, which the attorney general’s office calls “a rare move.” “Ottawa County held up this significant settlement distribution from which its residents stand to gain greatly,” says Attorney General Dana Nessel. “Judge Fresard’s sanctions properly reflect the frivolous nature of Ottawa County’s misuse of the courts.” State officials say more than 50 local governments requested for Ottawa County to be sanctioned over the delay, which affects 269 local governments. We’re told Ottawa County will still receive its share of funds from the settlement. The extent of the sanctions will be decided at a hearing scheduled for May 10. [READ MORE]( Fox 17 West Michigan (May 4, 2023) Judge sanctions Ottawa County for allegedly delaying opioid settlement Retrieved from: [Judge sanctions Ottawa County for allegedly delaying opioid settlement](   Intoxalock Changes Advertising After Complaints to Attorney General for Misleading Mailings Just a little over a month after Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued a cease-and-desist letter to Intoxalock regarding its misleading direct mail advertisements, the company has made sufficient changes to its mailer that the Department of Attorney General was able to conclude its investigation. Intoxalock, an Iowa-based company that manufactures, sells, and installs breath alcohol ignition interlock devices (BAIIDs), had been using a mailer that not only resembled a government document, but also used mandatory language that permitted its recipients (recent OWI arrestees) to believe they were obligated to have the device installed. In the cease-and-desist letter, issued March 15, 2023, Intoxalock was informed that the Department had received information from multiple sources that the company had contacted individuals who had pled guilty to operating while intoxicated charges but had not been sentenced. According to complaints from consumers, probation officers, and judges, the mailings caused some consumers to pay for and install BAIIDs they did not need. “Tricking people into making a purchase by using an ad purporting to be from a court of law is the lowest form of deceit,” Nessel said. “After being discovered, our department took quick action. Intoxalock is now taking corrective actions to change its misleading marketing practices. This is exactly the type of outcome my Consumer Protection team and I seek to achieve in every case.” [READ MORE]( Oakland County Times (May 6, 2023) Intoxalock Changes Advertising After Complaints to Attorney General for Misleading Mailings Retrieved from: [Intoxalock Changes Advertising After Complaints to Attorney General for Misleading Mailings](   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](.