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Eastpointe mayor pleads no contest after fraudulently receiving $10,000 grant

By Jack Nissen
Published  September 28, 2023 12:01pm EDT
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 2 Detroit

Eastpointe mayor charged with fraud connected to COVID relief

Eastpointe Mayor Monique Owens has had a rocky tenure in office and is now facing a felony charge in connection to COVID relief funds.

MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. (FOX 2) - The mayor of Eastpointe has pled no contest to charges of making a false statement and was ordered to pay $10,000 in fines after she fraudulently applied for a federal grant.

Monique Owens received $10,000 from Macomb County after falsely stating that her business was 51% veteran owned. She also lied about the number of employees the business had. 

Owens was previously charged false pretenses between $1,000 and $20,000 after applying for the grant, which came through the federal CARES Act, which was intended to float small businesses during the pandemic. 

Owens was ordered to pay the county restitution before her guilty plea, the Macomb County Prosecutor's office said.

MORE: Eastpointe mayor who blasted residents for high crime charged with felony

"When a public figure acknowledges their guilt, takes responsibility for their actions, and pays full restitution, it sends a powerful message that no one is above the law," said prosecutor Peter J. Lucido.

Owens will be sentenced on Oct. 10 in Circuit Court.