First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler announced that Jay A. Schwartz, 55, of Northville, Michigan, was sentenced today to 27 months in prison and ordered to pay a $250,000 fine by U.S. District Court Judge Robert H. Cleland in Port Huron, Michigan. Judge Cleland pronounced the sentence after Schwartz was convicted at trial of conspiracy and bribery involving federal programs.
According to court records, from March 2014 to January 2016, Schwartz, an Oakland County, Michigan, attorney, was part of a conspiracy that provided Dean Reynolds, an elected Trustee of Clinton Township, Michigan, cash and free legal services in return for Reynolds’ assistance steering a waste collection contract with Clinton Township valued at approximately $36 million to Rizzo Environmental Service, Inc. (“RES”).
As part of the conspiracy, Schwartz, provided Reynolds with approximately $40,000 worth of free legal services in order to influence Reynolds’ decision to extend a waste collection contract with RES for 10 years. Schwartz also assisted his co-conspirators in paying and concealing a $3,000 cash bribe to Reynolds so he could pay for a psychological exam in his divorce proceedings.
Dean Reynolds was sentenced in 2019 to 17 years in prison for his role in the scheme.
This case was investigated by the Detroit FBI. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gene Crawford, Michael Freeman and Suzana Koch of the Northern District of Ohio.