Feds seek prison for ex-prosecutor

MOUNT CLEMENS (AP) — Federal authorities are seeking a 21-month prison sentence for a former Detroit-area prosecutor who obstructed justice in an investigation of how he spent campaign donations.

Eric Smith, a Democrat, was Macomb County's elected prosecutor until quitting in disgrace in 2020 after 15 years, tarnished by state and federal investigations.

"Motivated by greed, he used his position to line his pockets with money that did not belong to him, and worse yet, to force others to lie to law enforcement for him," Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Moran said in a court filing Wednesday.

Smith's attorney hasn't filed a sentencing memo yet. A hearing is set for Feb. 16.

Between 2012 and 2020, Smith conducted two fraud schemes to steal approximately $75,000 in cash from his political campaign for personal expenses, federal investigators said.

He admitted that he attempted to get three people, including two assistant prosecutors, to make false statements about his use of campaign cash. Smith pleaded guilty a year ago.

Separately, Smith is charged in state court with embezzlement and other crimes related to a different scheme to use money from drunken driving cases, bad check cases and assets forfeited in drug crimes. He was ordered to trial last week.