DOJ: Ex-Romulus mayor used campaign funds for family member's wedding, yacht club dues, more

ROMULUS, Mich. (FOX 2) - A former mayor of Romulus pleaded guilty last week to wire fraud after misusing campaign funds, the Department of Justice said.

LeRoy Burcroff, 58, who was elected in 2014, established a committee to elect (CTE) fund entitled, "Committee to Elect LeRoy D. Burcroff" to help his campaign.

For 2 ½ years, he is accused of using donated campaign funds for personal expenses. According to the DOJ, this included paying more than $6,000 for a family member's wedding, and paying more than $11,600 in dues and expenses to the Belleville Yacht Club.

The DOJ said Burcroff would also overwrite his dues, and received a check from the yacht club in 2017 because of this. 

He is also accused of making a $1,000 donation of CTE funds to a trade industry for his personal benefit. In 2019, Burcroff spent $3,000 of campaign funds on a personal vacation to Florida, the DOJ said. 

"Burcoff betrayed his supporters and neighbors, the people of Wayne County, by embezzling their donations to fund his lifestyle," said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. "The FBI prioritizes exposing corrupt public officials whose greed erodes the public’s confidence in government." 

Burcroff faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.