Chesterfield Township Officials Perplexed by Used Vehicle Sale, Want Answers

As the Macomb County Sheriff's Office investigates circumstances around the sale of six public vehicles, some Chesterfield Township officials say they also want answers.

Township Clerk Cindy Berry said Wednesday Supervisor Michael Lovelock's March 18 request to sell six used township vehicles to Larry Schwartz for a total of $4,000 is raising serious questions.

“It’s getting more and more confusing to me," Berry said. "Nothing’s adding up correctly.”

Six township vehicles sold for $4,000

The sale of the Department of Public Works and building department vehicles--deemed by Lovelock as in poor condition—was approved 6-0 by the township board. But, township officials say they were not aware that Schwartz is reportedly the boyfriend of Lovelock's daughter and the supervisor refers to him as his son-in-law.

If that relationship was disclosed to the township board, officials say that would have changed their decision to approve the sale.

“If I had it to do again, I would have either voted to table that so we could have done so more research on it," Berry said.

Attorney Robert Seibert expressed concern during the meeting, saying he didn't know who the buyer was. The supervisor didn't volunteer any information about the buyer at the time.

Lovelock has not responded to requests for comment.

Questions arise after traffic stop

Berry said she questioned the supervisor's actions when he didn't follow the township attorney's advice to personally oversee the vehicle title transfers at Secretary of State.

"I just wanted to know why did he do exactly what our attorney told him not to," she said, adding that she didn't accuse Lovelock of wrongdoing but was seeking answers.

Lovelock told her the Macomb County Sheriff's Office is conducting an investigation and "we'll let the chips fall where they may," she said.

When she pressed him, she said he left agitated.

She said she became alarmed about the vehicles when police pulled over the buyer March 20 for allegedly speeding with an invalid title. At the time, Chesterfield Township Police Chief Bruce Smith was heard in an audio recording asking if the truck could not be impounded. Smith mentions the driver is Lovelock's son-in-law in the recording.

Berry said she discovered someone representing themselves from Coleman Auto and Truck Parts in Akron came in to pay for the vehicles from the township March 21 in cash—a day after the traffic stop.

Police chief asks for investigation

Smith said Thursday he will not comment on the ongoing investigation but verified he brought the matter to Sheriff Anthony Wickersham, which Wickersham told Patch Wednesday.

"Supervisor Lovelock wanted this investigated when it came to his attention that people were making allegations of misdeeds," Smith said.

The police chief told Lovelock it would be a conflict of interest for township police to investigate, so he brought it to the Sheriff's Office attention, he said.

Trustee David Joseph was one of several township officials asked by the Sheriff's Office to answer questions for the ongoing investigation. Joseph said, even if the investigation doesn't show the law was broken, he questions whether public trust has been violated. 

“I don’t believe that the township residents have asked for elected officials that are one realm above criminality," he said, adding that he will request Smith to answer questions about the incident at the next board meeting.

Township officials said it's not common for the supervisor to oversee the sale or transfer of public vehicles. Used police cars, for example, are put to auction when they are no longer wanted.

"This whole thing of the supervisor or any elected official selling vehicles to a private party is highly irregular," Berry said. "They normally go auction."

Treasurer Linda Hartman said Thursday she was also interviewed by the Sheriff's Office and the case is expected to be presented to the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office in about a week for review.

Hartman declined to say if she knew of Lovelock's relationship with the purchaser, but said she doesn't believe anything improper was done. 

"I don't believe there's any wrongdoing," she said.