Carmack accused of selling Detroit land he didn't own to out-of-state developer

(FOX 2) - More details have come to light as a Detroit businessman who threatend to reveal embarrasing information about Mayor Mike Duggan faces felony charges. 

Last month, Robert Carmack made headlines when he rented an electronic billboard that played video of Duggan. Proof, he says, that Duggan is cheating on his wife. Carmack then threatened to release more scandalous information about the mayor, but he never did.

However, he did end up in jail charged with four felonies -- one count of fraud and three counts of uttering and publishing. Carmack allegedly used a deed to sell a piece of land in southwest Detroit to an out-of-state developer for a million dollars.

There's just one problem: The City of Detroit says the land never belonged to Carmack. City officials say he never paid the $250,000 price tag.

"Our belief is that he did a million dollar deal on a piece of real estate than he never had a title to. We're missing a lot of money," said Genesee County Asst. Prosecutor Pat McCombs.

Mike Rataj is Carmack's attorney.

"He had a warranty deed. He was to able to give a warranty deed on the property when he sold it," he said. "The evidence is going to show Mr. Carmack actually owned the property. ... Not that he paid, I'm going to hold back on exactly how he acquired the property but he acquired it from the City of Detroit."

Duggan also asked Michigan State Police to investigate Carmack for possible extortion, but the city said this case has been in the works for at least a year -- before Carmack started going after Duggan.

Carmack's bond was set at $50,000 - 10 percent. The Genesee County prosecutor was asked to handle the case because the Wayne County prosecutor was concerned about a possible conflict of interest.