home / be the change / government corruption / decorated <u+2018>hero<u+2019> cop caught using his authority to steal $170,000 in state fees decorated <u+2018>hero<u+2019> cop caught using his authority to steal $170,000 in state fees john vibes october 28, 2016 leave a comment 




detroit, mi <u+2013> disgraced michigan state trooper seth swanson was charged with embezzlement this week for pocketing thousands in false fees. 




the 31-year-old trooper allegedly stole $170,100 in vehicle fees through an inspections scheme that he ran, where he would forge documentation on potentially stolen vehicles. 




the michigan attorney general<u+2019>s office issued the following state ment detailing swanson<u+2019>s theft operation: 




<u+201c>police officers are given great trust and responsibility, and for that reason are held to a higher standard. when you break the trust you are given and in the process break the law, there are consequences, no matter who you are or what your profession. i want to thank the michigan state police and fbi<u+2019>s detroit area public corruption task force for their hard work on this investigation.<u+201d> 




according to investigators, swanson was a state-certified salvage vehicle inspector since 2011. as an inspector, swanson was responsible for overseeing salvage vehicle inspections, during which a $100 fee is collected. for over a year, swanson allegedly pocketed these fees and forged the forms that authorized the salvage. 




swanson is accused of applying this scam to 1,701 vehicles, bringing in a total of $170,100. 




after he was charged, swanson was forced to resign from the police department. 




police spokesperson andrea bitely told reporters that <u+201c>our office , in conjunction with the michigan state police and secretary of state, are working together to make sure that all vehicles involved in this case have, actually have a proper salvage vehicle inspection, and we<u+2019>ll contact the registered owners of the vehicles to make sure we arrange for now inspection in a timely manner.<u+201d> 




prior to his crimes as an inspector, swanson was praised in the media as a <u+201c>hero<u+201d> in 2013 for being one of the first responders to a large pile-up. 




swanson and his lawyers are attempting to use his past media fame as a defense in this most recent case, despite the fact that it is entirely irrelevant. 




defense attorney john freeman said that swanson is still a <u+201c>hero.<u+201d> 




<u+201c>these charges don<u+2019>t detract from the fact that trooper swanson was a real-life hero and was a good trooper. it<u+2019>s easy for people to lose sight of that fact,<u+201d> freeman said. 




swanson was released on $10,000 bond and is currently awaiting trial. 




below is a video from 2013 in which swanson was hailed as a hero. john vibes is an author and researcher who organizes a number of large events including the free your mind conference. he also has a publishing company where he offers a censorship free platform for both fiction and non-fiction writers. you can contact him and stay connected to his work at his facebook page. john is currently battling cancer naturally , without any chemo or radiation, and will be working to help others through his experience, if you wish to contribute to his treatments please donate here . share social trending
decorated <u+2018>hero<u+2019> cop caught using his authority to steal $170,000 in state fees
john vibes