So much going on today here at !detroit@midwest.social(disease).

From ace reporters Robert Snell and Louis Aguilar at the News, "rat, meet sinking ship"…

…prosecutors are applying more pressure on Smith by slapping a lien on his $1.25 million home, a move that reveals possible new criminal charges that could be filed in connection with one of the largest alleged embezzlements in a public corruption case in recent Detroit history[…]

Plea negotiations were described in a federal court filing by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Moran and Smith's criminal defense lawyer, Gerald Evelyn, on June 10. […] "The parties jointly request that the court continue the period in which an indictment must be returned by 60 days in order to permit the ongoing plea negotiations to continue, as the issuance of indictment may change the posture of the parties in negotiations," the lawyers wrote.

The lien signals Smith's home in a Novi gated community may be subject to forfeiture to the government because investigators believe the property is linked to fraud, bribery/theft and money laundering. "If the Department of Justice has liened property, that's a pretty good indication that it is proceeds of unlawful conduct," Birmingham criminal defense lawyer Wade Fink told The News after learning about the lien. "As a criminal defense lawyer seeing this, I would certainly be worried about a forthcoming indictment or ongoing discussions about what that indictment is going to look like."

Yeah, me being a mere genius and not a lawyer, I kinda see it that way too.

One last thought: all this hullabaloo these days about US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas accepting "gifts" with an estimated value of $2.4M. That's peanuts! Kids' stuff in comparison!

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