Crime & Safety

UPDATED: Trenton DPW Employee, Flat Rock Police Officer Arrested by FBI

An employee of the Trenton Department of Public Works and a Flat Rock police sergeant were arraigned Wednesday on illegal gambling-related charges.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested a City of Trenton employee and a Flat Rock police sergeant on 17 counts of illegal gambling-related offenses.

Kevin James Sargent, 35, of Grosse Ile and Charles Richard Sanders Jr., 46, of Gibraltar were arraigned Wednesday before Judge James Kersten at 33rd District Court in Woodhaven.

Sargent is an employee of the Trenton Department of Public Works.

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Sargent has taken at least one personal day from work and an internal investigation has begun to find out if there were any violations to city policy according to Trenton City Administrator Jim Wagner.

Wagner said he would be contacting the FBI and state and internal sources to see if the alleged crimes were committed during work hours.

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"We're trying to do this in a correct and legal manner," Wagner said.

Sanders is a sergeant with the Flat Rock Police Department. A preliminary examination of the evidence was scheduled for 9 a.m. Feb. 24 at 33rd District Court.

Sargent was charged with one count of conducting criminal enterprises and 14 counts of taking bets.

Sanders was charged with one count of conducting criminal enterprises, two counts of common law offenses and 14 counts of taking bets.

Conducting criminal enterprises and common law offenses are felonies that are punishable by up to 30 years in prison if convicted. The taking bets charges are misdemeanors.

The men are suspected of committing the crimes from November 2010 to January 2012.

The men were released after posting $15,000 personal bonds.


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