2 troopers, civilian charged in police embezzlement case

DETROIT FREE PRESS

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2011

LANSING -- Two State Police troopers and a Monroe County man were charged Wednesday with embezzling money, jewelry, drugs and other property seized from criminal suspects through a Monroe narcotics investigation, said state Attorney General Bill Schuette and State Police director Col. Kriste Kibbey Etue.

Lt. Luke Davis, 48, of Monroe and Lt. Emmanuel Riopelle, 42, of Grosse Ile were charged with racketeering, embezzlement, tax violation, forgery and drug possession. Davis was hit with 24 counts and Riopelle with 11.

Lawrence Dusseau, 42, of Monroe County was charged with five counts of embezzlement, racketeering and tax evasion.

All three could get up to 20 years in prison and a $100,000 fine on the racketeering charges alone.

The investigation began in late 2008 when a crime suspect said Davis, who was commander of the State Police Office of Monroe Narcotics Investigations, stole items from his house.

A search of Davis' home found the stolen property, including painkilling prescription drugs Vicodin and Oxycotin, steroids, a wall covered with men's and women's jewelry, 30 designer purses, 22 cell phones, computers, TVs, motorcycles and a golf cart, Schuette and Etue said.

The three men are accused of diverting seized property -- even a 1998 Dodge Durango, a 1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 and other vehicles -- from public auctions, then sold the stolen goods and kept the profits. Some items were sold to Dusseau at legitimate auctions; he resold them and split the profits with Davis, according to the charges.

All three men were arrested Tuesday night and arraigned Wednesday in 1st District Court in Monroe by the attorney general's Public Integrity Unit.