Former Macomb County Prosecutor Ordered To Trial In Embezzlement Case

MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. (AP) — An ex-county prosecutor in the Detroit area has been ordered to stand trial on embezzlement and other charges.

A judge in Clinton Township made the ruling Friday following Eric Smith's preliminary examination.

Smith spent nearly 16 years as Macomb County prosecutor. Authorities have alleged that he ran a criminal enterprise and embezzled cash for country club catering, home security cameras and other perks.

Smith tapped accounts that held money from drunken driving cases, bad check cases, and assets forfeited in drug crimes, according to the state attorney general's office. The alleged scheme dated back to 2012 totaled $600,000.

Smith resigned from office in March 2020 after facing criminal charges.

He pleaded guilty about a year ago to obstructing justice in an investigation of how he spent campaign donations.

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