The FBI arrested two Detroit cops on Wednesday in connection with an ongoing investigation into a towing scandal that has rocked city hall.
Lt. John F. Kennedy, 56, of Rochester Hills, and Officer Daniel Vickers, 54, of Livonia, were charged with bribery after agents searched their homes earlier in the day.
They’re accused of accepting bribes from an unidentified towing company. In return for the bribes, they steered towing work to the company, federal prosecutors allege.
Kennedy, who is an internal affairs lieutenant tasked with investigating dirty cops, is accused of accepting more than $14,000 in cash, cars, and car repairs beginning in 2018. Vickers allegedly received $3,400 in bribes.
If convicted, they face up to 10 years in prison.
That makes eight Detroit cops charged in connection with the towing scandal. Officer Deonne Dotson, who was sentenced to 80 months in federal prison in July, was the last of six cops to be sentenced in an extortion scheme. The others – Charles Wills, James Robertson, Jamil Martin, Martin Tutt, and Anthony Careathers – have served time in federal prison.
The FBI investigation, dubbed Operation Northern Hook, is also focusing on ties between the towing industry and Detroit city council members Scott Benson and Janeé Ayers and former councilman Andre Spivey, who resigned last month after he pleaded guilty to conspiring with an unidentified staff member to commit bribery.
Spivey and the staff member collected more than $35,000 in cash bribes from an undercover agent or confidential informant on eight different occasions between 2018 and 2020, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The FBI raided the homes and offices of Benson and Ayers on Aug. 25. They have not yet been charged.
Stay connected with Detroit Metro Times. Subscribe to our newsletters, and follow us on Google News, Apple News, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Reddit.
Related Stories
This article appears in Oct 27 – Nov 2, 2021.