SHELBY, Mich. — Former Shelby Police Chief Robert Wilson has been charged with embezzlement and several other crimes related to allegedly doing car inspection jobs and continuously not reporting the fees he collected to the village.
Former Shelby Police Chief Robert Wilson (Courtesy Oceana Co Sheriff)
One count of embezzlement of $50,000 or more but less than $100,000 and five counts of filing a false certificate have been filed against Wilson by the office of Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette’.
He was arraigned Tuesday in Oceana County. Bond was set at $10,000.
These charges come after Wilson’s termination by the Shelby Police Department. An investigation into his activity found that between December 2013 and November 2015, he allegedly performed 699 vehicle inspections on “salvage vehicles” that he never reported. The Attorney General’s office says that these inspections can be done at fees up to $100.
A “salvage title” is issued when vehicles become distressed and unfit for the road. At that point, the vehicle can’t be plated or salvaged until it has been recertified by a specially trained officer.
They say that Wilson has been a state-certified salvage vehicle inspector since 1995. Wilson is expected back in court Aug. 22.
