Flint Criminal Prosecution Motions Confirm Cases Will Continue

LANSING – The Flint Water Prosecution, led by Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud and Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, filed two sets of motions Friday in the continued prosecution of nine people related to the Flint Water Crisis.

The motions are now available on the Department of Attorney General website.

As was shared earlier this week, the fight to secure justice for the people of Flint is not over.

"The Supreme Court did not question the merit of our cases, nor evaluate the evidence in these proceedings,” said Hammoud. “Judge Newblatt, serving as the one-man grand juror, relied on a decades-long process to evaluate substantial evidence presented in these cases and issued indictments based on that evidence. The opinion issued by the Court outlined new rules regarding the process related to Michigan’s one-man grand jury statute and these motions comply with those rules. We are confident that the evidence in these cases supports the charges and look forward to proving that in court.”

The first motions apply to the defendants facing felony charges, asking for the cases to be remanded to the District Court for preliminary exams, in accordance with the Supreme Court’s opinion.

The second motions apply to the defendants charged only with misdemeanors. These motions inform the Court the cases will proceed as though upon formal complaint, as allowed under the criminal statute MCL 767.4.

“These motions confirm our commitment to keep fighting for the people of Flint,” said Worthy. “As prosecutors, it is our duty to pursue all available means to secure justice for the people we serve, and I am committed to seeing this prosecution through to its conclusion.”

The criminal charges were first announced last year. The nine defendants were indicted on the following:

Jarrod Agen

One count of perjury - a 15-year felony

Gerald Ambrose

Four counts of misconduct in office - each a five-year felony and/or $10,000 fine

Richard Baird

One count of perjury - a 15-year felony
One count of official misconduct in office - a five-year felony and/or $10,000 fine
One count of obstruction of justice - a five-year felony and/or $10,000 fine
One count of extortion - a 20-year felony and/or $10,000 fine

Howard Croft

Two counts of willful neglect of duty - each a one-year misdemeanor and/or $1,000 fine

Darnell Earley

Three counts of misconduct in office - each a five-year felony and/or $10,000 fine

Nicolas Lyon

Nine counts of involuntary manslaughter - each a 15-year felony and/or $7,500 fine
One count of willful neglect of duty - a one-year misdemeanor and/or $1,000 fine

Nancy Peeler

Two counts of misconduct in office - each a five-year felony and/or $10,000 fine
One count of willful neglect of duty - a one-year misdemeanor and/or $1,000 fine

Richard Snyder

Two counts of willful neglect of duty - each a one-year misdemeanor and/or $1,000 fine

Eden Wells

Nine counts of involuntary manslaughter - each a 15-year felony and/or $7,500 fine
Two counts of misconduct in office - each a five-year felony and/or $10,000 fine
One count of willful neglect of duty - a one-year misdemeanor and/or $1,000 fine

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Please note: A criminal charge is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The Attorney General's office does not provide photos of defendants.