Former Fraser IT boss Michele Kwiatkowski received a probation sentence of 11 months Tuesday for using city funds to bankroll her lavish lifestyle, according to the Detroit Free Press. Kwiatkowski admitted to her crime in December, and she is now mandated to pay back $89,670.95 to the city by next year as part of her plea agreement.
The sentencing handed down by Macomb County Circuit Judge Diane Druzinski requires Kwiatkowski to immediately pay a large portion of the owed restitution. As her lawyer, Elias Muawad, expressed, "She wants the court and Fraser to understand that she's taking this very seriously." Muawad confirmed his client's intentions to The Detroit News, that Kwiatkowski is poised to quickly make good on a substantial $70,000 of the restitution owed this Thursday.
While on probation, the former city IT director is additionally held back from contacting the City of Fraser or to hastily open any new bank or credit card accounts, the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office detailed in a statement obtained by CBS News Detroit. She is also mandated to enroll in an impulse control class as a part of her sentence.
The misuse of the city’s funds spanned from January 2016 to 2020, with Kwiatkowski indulging in personal extravagances like handbags, dresses, shoes, and household goods on the city's dime. In addition to the financial recompense, her actions have been met with a judicial clampdown aimed at curtailing any similar future impulses. Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido told CBS Detroit, "It's our responsibility to uphold the law and safeguard the trust of our community." In tandem with the punishment, the restitution ensures that embezzled funds find their way back to city coffers.
Preceding this embezzlement case, waylaid by accusations of sexual harassment within the city's leadership echelon, Kwiatkowski was one of three women to file a lawsuit against Fraser officials in 2017. The lawsuit concluded in a settlement two years later. These charges, which once splayed scandal across the local political landscape, only further complex the narrative of Kwiatkowski's professional demise, the Detroit Free Press reported.
