Michael Pacteles. (Photo: LinkedIn)
A former Detroit police detective from Wyandotte is the latest to be implicated in a federal corruption probe into city hall and the police department.
Pacteles was a high-profile, oft-quoted member of Detroit Police and occasionally participated in feel-good community events. In 2017, he handed out gift baskets and hugs to families at a city school @detroitnews pic.twitter.com/gF0NfySU9W
— Robert Snell (@robertsnellnews) December 17, 2021
Michael Pacteles, 44, is alleged to have accepted nearly $8,000 worth of items and cash bribes from a towing company in 2019, including a salvaged used car and $3,200. In return, Pacteles allegedly did favors for the company, including removing stolen vehicles in its possession from a Detroit Police Department database that showed they were stolen and agreeing to provide vehicle information from a restricted law enforcement database.
Pacteles resigned from the department in 2020 and currently works for the Hamtramck Police Department. He's the fifth former city official or employee charged as part of the investigation known as “Operation Northern Hook.” Three other officers and ex-Councilman André Spivey have been charged or convicted of taking bribes from towing company operators.
