Karen Spranger
Karen Spranger, who had a short and tulmutuous run as Macomb County Clerk before being ousted, pleaded no contest in court Wednesday, the Detroit Free Press reports. She was accused of taking $1,660 from an elderly Warren woman she cared for last year.
Spranger pleaded no contest to disturbing the peace, a misdemeanor. The original larceny felony charge was dismissed. No contest means a criminal defendant does not dispute the charge, but does not admit guilt.
Circuit Court Judge Diane Druzinski ordered her to pay $1,660 in restitution immediately and fined her $425. Spranger was given credit for one day in jail.
Spranger, elected clerk in 2016, was removed from her $108,800-per-year job in March 2018 after a judge determined that she lied about her residency. During her tenure, she was acccused of being incompetent and causing political turmoil.
