Former Detroit Police Officer Sentenced To Prison For Bribery

(CBS DETROIT) -- A former Detroit police officer is sentenced to 15 months in prison for taking more than $3,000 in bribes, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Federal officials say Alonzo Jones, 55, of Detroit, accepted about $3,200 cash bribes over a two-year period "with the intent to be influenced and rewarded in connection with his duties overseeing and running the Detroit Police Vehicle Auction."

The last bribe he accepted before retiring from DPD in May 2021.

Jones pleaded guilty in November. He is also sentenced to two years of supervised release.

"Every new police officer takes an oath to uphold our laws and act with integrity. This officer broke that oath and his crimes are an affront to the citizens of Detroit and the honest officers of the Detroit Police Department who put their lives on the line to protect those citizens," U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison said in a press release. "This sentence shows our office's commitment to aggressively pursuing police officers who use their trusted positions of authority to enrich themselves."

Jones was charged as part of an investigation known as "Operation Northern Hook," which looks into corruption within the government and police department in Detroit related to the towing industry. He was the fourth person charged.

"The public expects law enforcement officers to do their work with honesty and integrity. Instead, Mr. Jones exploited his official position, accepting bribes in exchange for favors related to the Detroit Vehicle Auction. Today, he was held accountable for his criminal conduct," said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Detroit Division.

In December, former Detroit police officer Michael Pacteles, of Southgate, was charged with bribery, making him the fifth person charged in the investigation.

Former councilman Andre Spivey was sentenced to two years in prison in connection with the investigation.

Spivey, 48, pleaded guilty last year, admitting to taking nearly $36,000 in bribe payments. He resigned from his role, which he held from 2009. His case was the first charged in "Operation Northern Hook."

Two other police officers were accused of taking bribes.

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