State Rep. Brian Banks pleaded guilty to making false financial statements and has resigned from office, the attorney general's office announced.
Attorney General Bill Schuette charged Banks in June with two counts of Uttering and Publishing, one count of False Pretenses, $1,000 or more but less than $20,000 and false statements - financial condition.
As part of the plea deal, three felony charges were dropped, and he had to resign as a state representative. It carries up to a one-year prison sentence.
The charges stemmed from falsifying documents to obtain a loan from a Detroit-area credit union. Banks allegedly used pay statements from a law firm he worked at to obtain a $7,500 loan. During investigation, it was discovered he never worked at the firm.
“As an elected official, you carry a higher burden of responsibility and are expected to act as a role model in your community,” Schuette said in a release. “Former Representative Banks violated the trust placed in him by his neighbors and constituents.”
Banks represented Michigan's first house district, which included part of Detroit, Harper Woods, Grosse Point Woods and part of Grosse Pointe Shores.
