Federal prosecutors in Detroit on Thursday announced new corruption charges against former Wayne County treasurer’s office employee Jontae Jackson, 45, who is accused of taking nearly $18,000 in bribes to illegally remove properties from the county’s tax foreclosure list.
Jackson was charged with bribery, conspiracy, and aggravated identity theft. Prosecutors say he worked with Zina Thomas, 61, a former director at the United Community Housing Coalition, a nonprofit that assists struggling Detroit homeowners.
Prosecutors say Thomas conspired to steal more than 30 properties from low-income residents using forged deeds, fake IDs, and fraudulent residency papers. Jackson allegedly processed the documents, removed the properties from foreclosure, and allowed Thomas to flip the homes without owners’ consent.
The scheme ran from March to September 2023 and targeted Detroiters already at risk of losing their homes, prosecutors said. Jackson received at least $17,950 in bribes, and both he and Thomas are expected to plead guilty, facing up to 10 years in prison.
The case is the latest in a string of public corruption scandals in Michigan. This month, former Inkster Mayor Patrick Wimberly was sentenced in a bribery case tied to a strip club shakedown. Earlier in August, Saif Alsenad, Wayne County’s former director of government and public affairs, was charged with lying to the FBI during a bribery probe.
