Former Detroit Police Department Officer Sentenced to Prison for Taking Bribes

DETROIT - A former Detroit Police Department officer was sentenced to prison today for taking $3,200 in cash bribes over an almost two-year period, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.

Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division.

During a hearing today before U.S. District Court Judge George Caram Steeh, Alonzo Jones, 55, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced to 15 months in prison and two years of supervised release based on his plea of guilty to accepting bribes. Jones, an officer with the Detroit Police Department for over 30 years, corruptly accepted cash bribes on five separate occasions, totaling $3,200, with the intent to be influenced and rewarded in connection with his duties overseeing and running the Detroit Police Vehicle Auction. The last bribe he took was right before he retired from DPD in May 2021.

United States Attorney Ison said, “Every new police officer takes an oath to uphold our laws and act with integrity.   This officer broke that oath and his crimes are an affront to the citizens of Detroit and the honest officers of the Detroit Police Department who put their lives on the line to protect those citizens.  This sentence shows our office’s commitment to aggressively pursuing police officers who use their trusted positions of authority to enrich themselves.” 

“The public expects law enforcement officers to do their work with honesty and integrity. Instead, Mr. Jones exploited his official position, accepting bribes in exchange for favors related to the Detroit Vehicle Auction. Today, he was held accountable for his criminal conduct,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Division. “Thank you to Chief James White for his cooperation during this investigation and to the men and women of the Detroit Police Department who serve with honor day in and day out. And thank you to the members of the Detroit Area Corruption Task Force for their continued work on Operation Northern Hook."

Jones was charged as part of the government’s investigation known as “Operation Northern Hook.” Northern Hook is an investigation of corruption within the government and the Police Department of the City of Detroit relating to the towing industry and other matters.

The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frances Lee Carlson.

The Detroit Area Corruption Task Force member agencies include the FBI, State of Michigan Attorney General's Office, Michigan State Police, Detroit Police Department, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol-Office of Professional Responsibility, Internal Revenue Service, and U.S. Department of Homeland Security.