Ecorse, MICHIGAN

GUILTY PLEA
December 2008 - Douglas Benit, an assistant superintendent in Ecorse until 2003 until he became Superintendent of Willow Run schools, pleaded guilty to mail fraud and bank fraud. He was fired from Willow Run for conflict of interest he had with two companies he owned that did business with the district. His company was awarded $2 million in school contracts.

He was accused of defrauding the Ecorse Public Schools and a federal program out of nearly $7.3 million. There are no charges against Benit stemming from his time as superintendent of Willow Run Community Schools.

The one count of bank fraud was for misrepresenting his income to obtain a $575,000 mortgage to refinance their home in Superior Township and to obtain equity credit lines totaling $300,000. She pleaded guilty in April and was sentenced to one day in jail and three years of supervised release.

SENTENCED
March 27, 2009 - Benit was sentenced to nearly four years in prison.

Ecorse is outside of Detroit. On September 25, 2009, Ecorse Mayor Herbert Worthy and city Controller Erwin Hollenquest were arrested on charges conspiracy, bribery, and fraud. See entry.

Plea agreement and indictment documents.
No political affiliation for the non-partisan office, but Benit's political donations 2000-2004 were to the Republican Congressional Committee.