Preliminary Adjourned for Trenton Employee, Flat Rock Police Officer Arrested on Racketeering Charges

A preliminary investigation of the evidence against a employee and a Flat Rock police sergeant was adjourned on Feb. 14.

The preliminary was re-scheduled for 9 a.m. March 16 with Judge James Kersten at 33rd District in Woodhaven.

Kevin James Sargent, 35, of Grosse Ile and Charles Richard Sanders Jr., 46, of Gibraltar are charged with 17 counts of illegal gambling-related offenses.

Sargent is an employee at the Trenton Department of Public Services, and Sanders is a sergeant with the Flat Rock Police Department.

The adjournment was requested by the assistant prosecutor assigned to the case because an officer was not available, according to Court Administrator Margaret Krizan. There was also a substitution of attorneys filed by the defense.

Sanders has been on unpaid administrative leave since the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested him on Jan. 11.

Flat Rock police Chief Neal Rossow said the alleged illegal activity was discovered by Flat Rock police and then turned over to a public corruption task force run by the FBI.

Rossow did not wish to comment further.

Sargent’s employment status with the City of Trenton is unknown at this time. He took at least one personal day immediately following his arrest, and Trenton City Administrator Jim Wagner said an internal investigation of Sargent is ongoing.

The men were arrested for allegedly conducting an illegal gambling operation involving bets on professional and college football games conducted on city time with taxpayer resources according to a release from Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette.

“Sargent allegedly collected the bets on collegiate and professional foorball games by phone, while Sanders allegedly served as ‘the bank,’ collecting bets from and remitting winnings to participating gamblers, often while on duty as a police officer,” according to the same release.

Sanders allegedly collected bets while on duty in his squad car on at least one occasion.

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. Taking bets charges are misdemeanors.

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