According to a statement from Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a 52-year-old Detroit woman, Evette Byrd, has been charged with embezzling over $400,000 from the Retirement System City of Detroit (RSCD). Byrd was arraigned in the Wayne County 3rd Circuit Court and is facing a count of embezzlement of $100,000 or more, a crime that could potentially carry a 20-year prison sentence, and a count of using a computer to commit a crime, which also can lead to up to 20 years in prison. Her next court appearance is scheduled for March 5, before Judge Donald Knapp.
"People employed by retirement systems are entrusted to protect retirement savings and ensure those funds are used as intended," Attorney General Nessel said through the Michigan Department of Attorney General. Byrd, who was an employee within the RSCD, is accused of having used her position to take at least $460,000 wrongly. Her bond was initially set at $100,000 during her charge in January and was subsequently ordered to stand trial in circuit court earlier in the month.
The Detroit News reports that Byrd's attorney was not immediately available for comment following her arraignment. It was during an investigation into an unrelated criminal matter that allegations against Byrd first came to light, which led to her termination from the RSCD in July and prompted an extensive investigation by Michigan State Police.
Authorities allege that Byrd embezzled funds by using pre-paid credit cards or debit cards meant for pensioners who lack bank accounts. These funds, as the RSCD oversees, come from two pension funds that comprise a $1.7 billion fund for 11,000 retirees and 5,000 active city employees, and a $2.7 billion fund for around 8,000 retirees and 3,000 active first responders. In response to Byrd’s alleged actions, RSCD officials acted quickly to prevent any further unauthorized transactions and are fully cooperating with the police investigation, which they believe could reveal additional sums of money stolen.
