Hamtramck City Councilman Muhtasin Sadman has cut a deal in a long-running absentee-ballot investigation, pleading guilty Tuesday to a reduced misdemeanor tied to loitering at an illegal business and sidestepping any current felony conviction.
Under the agreement, Sadman admitted to a disorderly-person count of loitering about an illegal business, was fined $500 and received one year of non-reporting probation. Court records show the conviction will be dismissed if he stays out of trouble, effectively closing one criminal track stemming from the 2023 election probe.
Sadman entered the plea in court this week, according to The Detroit News. Monroe County Prosecutor Jeffery Yorkey told The Detroit News the reduced charge was the only practical way prosecutors could secure a conviction in the case, and court documents outline the fine and probation terms.
Felony counts dropped earlier
The plea comes after prosecutors already watched their biggest allegations against Sadman evaporate in court. Four felony charges filed against the councilman were dismissed last fall when two key witnesses failed to appear, according to CBS Detroit. Those dismissals were entered without prejudice, which means prosecutors preserved the option to refile them, while a separate misdemeanor charge remained active.
Investigation and city fallout
The criminal case did not materialize out of nowhere. The absentee-ballot probe started after complaints from then city manager Max Garbarino and eventually drew attention from the Michigan Attorney General’s office before a special prosecutor in Monroe County was appointed, as reported by Michigan Public.
The allegations and court battles have unfolded alongside a wave of suspensions, firings and lawsuits that have churned Hamtramck’s local government. Earlier in the saga, one of the key twists came when Sadman saw his felony charges dismissed in Monroe County court, per Hoodline.
Where the other case stands
Sadman is not the only council member still entangled in the absentee-ballot investigation. Fellow councilman Mohammed Hassan remains charged and is scheduled to face trial in April, according to local reporting. The Hamtramck Review reports that Hassan is set for trial in Wayne County Circuit Court and has denied the allegations.
Legal note
For now, Sadman’s plea gives him a misdemeanor-level outcome that can be wiped from his record if he completes probation without further trouble, according to prosecutors and court documents. Prosecutors have characterized the agreement as a pragmatic route to a conviction in a complicated case, while broader allegations linked to the 2023 election remain unresolved and could still be pursued on a separate track.
