3 indicted in mismanaged Wayne County jail project

By Corey Williams
Associated Press

DETROIT (AP) - Three county officials tied to a mismanaged jail-building project in Detroit that went $91 million over budget have been indicted in Wayne County, prosecutors announced Monday.

The county's former chief financial officer, Carla Sledge, and its chief assistant corporation counsel, Steven Collins, are charged with misconduct in office, a felony, along with misdemeanor willful neglect of duty. Both are accused of giving false or misleading information about the project's cost.

The misdemeanor charge also was filed against Anthony Parlovecchio, a contractor hired to oversee the project. He is accused of not fully informing officials about the project.

Attorneys for Sledge and Parlovecchio said Monday they were surprised by the indictments and that their clients were innocent of any wrongdoing. A message left by The Associated Press for Collins wasn't immediately returned.

An investigation began in September 2013 into whether there was any criminal activity involved in the planned 2,000-bed jail on the northeastern edge of downtown Detroit. County commissioners voted to cancel construction contracts after the project went $91 million over its $220 million budget in June 2013. The building, although partially constructed, is vacant.

The indictment was handed down by a one-person grand jury. The grand juror in such cases is appointed by a chief judge and is usually a sitting judge who is given the authority to subpoena witnesses. The indictment was unsealed Friday, and the grand juror's investigation involved reviewing about 140,000 pages of documents, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a news release.

"This has been a long and arduous undertaking," said Worthy, who requested the inquiry. "The one-man grand jury was necessary to ensure that the process was impartial, fair, and free from politics."

Sledge, 62, served as chief administrator for the Wayne County Building Authority, which is responsible for overseeing large construction projects, including the planned jail. Collins, 53, was on the authority's board. Parlovecchio, 65, was hired to oversee the project. Arraignment dates have not been confirmed.

The jail fiasco was among several embarrassments for County Executive Robert Ficano, who lost his fight for re-election this summer. Several former top Ficano aides have pleaded guilty amid a separate federal investigation into corruption.

"This process has taken a long time," Sledge's attorney, Harold Gurewitz, said Monday. "I'm disappointed in the charges. I look forward to vigorously pursuing Ms. Sledge's innocence."

Parlovecchio's lawyer, Ben Gonek, said the project was on budget and ahead of schedule when Parlovecchio was running it.

"It went to hell when he was illegally terminated by the Ficano administration," Gonek said.

The investigation into the jail project is continuing, said Maria Miller, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office.

Published: Wed, Sep 17, 2014

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