One of two co-defendants charged in connection with a bribery
scheme allegedly involving a Dearborn police officer was bound
over for trial March 20 after waiving his right to a preliminary
examination in 19th District Court.
Reports indicate the defendant,
20-year-old Hassan H. Hojaije of Dearborn, allegedly contacted the
recipients of select traffic tickets on behalf of Dearborn Police
Officer Alex Brian Ramirez to see if they would pay cash — in
the range of $100 to $200 — for the tickets to be thrown out.
The operation allegedly lasted for
several months and was brought to the city's attention March 13
following a complaint from a resident. The complaint initiated an
investigation that will be complex and ongoing, city officials
said.
Ramirez, a 20-year veteran, was
arraigned earlier this month by 19th District Court Judge Mark
Somers and charged with embezzlement-public official over $50, a
felony punishable by up to 10 years; common law offense-misconduct
in office, a felony punishable by up to five years in prison;
obstruction of justice, a felony punishable by up to five years in
prison; conspiracy to obstruct justice, a felony punishable by up
to five years in prison; larceny in a building, a felony
punishable by up to four years in prison; and, bribery-public
officer for nonperformance of duty, a misdemeanor punishable by
six months or $250.
Ramirez was also immediately
suspended from the department without pay, according to Dearborn
police. He was released earlier this month after posting bond,
which was set at $50,000 cash surety.
His preliminary examination was
scheduled for March 20 in front of Judge William Hultgren but
court officials say it was adjourned one week after the Dearborn
resident retained a new attorney.
Hojaije has been charged with
obstruction of justice, a felony punishable by up to five years in
prison; conspiracy to obstruct of justice, a felony punishable by
up to five years in prison; and bribery-public officer for
nonperformance of duty, a misdemeanor punishable by six months or
$250. He was released earlier this month on $20,000 personal bond.
The Dearborn resident waived his
right to a preliminary examination March 20 and will be arraigned
on information April 3 in Third Circuit Court in Detroit. His
attorney, Majed Moughni, had indicated his client is cooperating
with the investigation.
In a separate, unrelated incident,
the department said it cooperated fully with state investigators
in the arrest of another Dearborn officer, Cpl. Gino Soave, on
March 13 for tax evasion and fraud related to the purchase of a
54-foot boat known as the "Bada Bing V."
Soave, 41, of Dearborn Heights,
allegedly presented a forged bill of sale to the Michigan
Secretary of State stating that the sale price of the boat was
$77,000. However, the original sales documents show the price of
the boat was actually $285,000.
By understating the sale price of
the boat, Soave paid an estimated $12,000 less in taxes than was
required at the true sale price, according to a statement issued
by the Michigan Attorney General's Office.
Soave was arrested at the Dearborn
Police Department and suspended without pay at the same time. He
was arraigned on March 13 in a Macomb County court on one count of
forgery, a 14-year felony; one count of uttering a publishing, a
14-year felony; and one count of tax fraud, a five-year felony.
The Dearborn Heights resident was
released on $25,000 personal bond, according to court officials. A
pre-exam conference date has been set for April 17 in front of
Chief Judge Joseph Craigen Oster of the 40th District Court in St.
Clair Shores.
It should be noted that a criminal
charge is merely an accusation and defendants are presumed
innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
