Ex-Pontiac fire chief gets prison for bribery

PONTIAC (AP) -- The former fire chief in Pontiac has been sentenced to six months in prison for taking a bribe to ignore violations at a bar. Authorities say Jeffrey Hawkins solicited a $1,000 bribe and later accepted cash from an undercover investigator. He was convicted in April of one bribery charge while the jury deadlocked on another. Hawkins retired in 2010 after 22 years with the fire department, including 11 as chief. The Detroit News says he was sentenced last Thursday in Oakland County court. Joy Yearout, spokeswoman for Attorney General Bill Schuette, says the public deserves "100 percent integrity" from public officials. Published: Mon, Jun 24, 2013