A former Detroit police officer pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI during an investigation

A former Detroit police officer pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court after federal prosecutors said he lied to FBI agents during an investigation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced.

Dametri J. Wade, 26, of Detroit, pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements in U.S. District Court in Detroit, according to a news release. A plea hearing was held on Tuesday.

Wade’s sentencing is scheduled for February 5. He faces up to five years in prison. His lawyer could not immediately be reached on Tuesday.

Federal prosecutors accused Wade in September of this year.

They said Wade was driving a police car and was at the scene of a burglary on Aug. 11, 2022, on St. Maron Street in Detroit. That’s where the burglars used fake documents to make it look like they were there to evict the owner under a court-ordered eviction notice, according to a plea agreement Wade entered into.

It stated that Wade was present to support the deception that it was a legal eviction. On December 19, 2022, Wade was questioned by FBI agents and lied about why he was there, according to a plea agreement.

This indicates Wade told agents he believed there would be an eviction, even though he knew there wouldn’t be one, and instead a burglary to steal personal property. He knew his statements were false under the plea agreement and knew it was illegal to make false statements to the FBI.

It claimed that his false testimony was material to the FBI’s ongoing investigation.

“Lying to law enforcement is never acceptable, but for an officer sworn to uphold the law, it is unconscionable,” U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison said in a release. “Today’s sentencing should send a clear message that no one, not even a police officer, is above the law.”

Chevoria Gibson, FBI special agent in Detroit, said Wade’s actions “do not meet the exemplary standards of the Detroit Police Department.”

She added that the FBI’s Public Corruption Task Force in Detroit “will relentlessly pursue any act of public corruption, ensuring that those who break the law are brought to justice and maintaining the public’s trust in those dedicated to protecting our great community.”

Contact Christina Hall at [email protected]. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @challreporter.

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