United States of America v. Zina Thomas

Detroit, Michigan, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with bribery involving a federal program.

Reported by: Kent Morlan

Zina Thomas, 62, of Detroit, formerly employed as the Director of Homeownership Programs for a local non-profit, conspired with and paid bribes to Jackson, formerly employed as a taxpayer assistant with the Wayne Counter Treasurer’s Office, in order to steal approximately 100 properties across Wayne County, predominately located in the City of Detroit. The total estimated value of the properties involved was approximately $6.4M.

The scheme involved Thomas identifying properties facing potential tax foreclosure and then diverting those properties into her control through fraudulent quitclaim deeds. Multiple fraudulent deeds were involved, frequently transferring the target properties from the victim-owners to non-existent “interim owners” in the first instance. Thomas, who was also a real estate agent, then sold many of the properties to third parties. In order to conceal the scheme and free up the properties for sale, Thomas bribed Jackson to upload false documentation—including fake driver’s licenses, utility bills, and Principal Residence Exemption forms—into Wayne County’s Property Tax Administration system, which Jackson then used to halt the pending foreclosures. This process prevented dozens of properties from being auctioned off, depriving Wayne County of an estimated $1.5M in tax revenue.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Significant investigative assistance was provided by the Wayne County Register of Deeds’ Mortgage & Deed Fraud Unit.

The Defendant was found guilty and was sentenced to 66 months in prison.