Former Wayne County Treasurer’s Office Employee, Local Non-Profit Director Both Sentenced In Connection With Bribery Conspiracy

DETROIT -Two individuals who conspired to steal dozens of properties from Detroiters facing potential tax foreclosure have been sentenced today, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. announced.

Zina Thomas, 62, of Detroit, received 90 months in federal prison following a conviction for federal program bribery. Jontae Jackson, 45, of Southfield received 66 months in federal prison for convictions for conspiracy to commit bribery and aggravated identity theft. Both were sentenced by United States District Judge Robert J. White.

Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit field office.

According to the court records, Thomas, 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 case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Particka.