A former Michigan State Police trooper is facing charges after allegedly embezzling more than $170,000 in vehicle fees, according to Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette.
Seth Swanson, 31, is accused of forging Secretary of State documentation and pocketing a $100 salvage vehicle inspection fee from 1,701 vehicles between August 2014 and December 2015.
Those fees are paid in cash to state-certified slavage vehicle inspectors. Swanson held that certification since 2011.
Swanson was arraigned on October 26 where he waived his preliminary exam. He was later released on a $10,000 bond.
Schuette says MSP and the Secretary of State will make sure all affected vehicles get a proper inspection.
“Police officers are given great trust and responsibility, and for that reason are held to a higher standard,” stated Schuette in a press release. “When you break the trust you are given and in the process break the law, there are consequences, no matter who you are or what your profession. I want to thank the Michigan State Police and FBI’s Detroit Area Public Corruption Task Force for their hard work on this investigation.”
7 Action News previously interviewed Swanson in February of 2013 after he was the first responder to a white-out traffic accident that killed three people on I-75.
