Judge revokes Chuck Rizzo's bond for witness tampering

PORT HURON, Mich. (WJBK) - Trash Titan Chuck Rizzo is awaiting sentencing on corruption charges next month. He had been out free on bond, until now. 

Rizzo is a central figure in the wide-ranging federal investigation of the public corruption that started in Macomb County. Rizzo already pleaded guilty to bribery and fraud charges -- but he's headed to prison now, ahead of his sentencing, because of a chance encounter with Quintin Ramanauskas and his wife at the MGM Grand over the holidays. 

The encounter started with an exchange of text messages between Ramanauskas and the Rizzos -- and it turned into a case of witness tampering. 

The feds, including prosecutor Michael Bullotta, argued Rizzo violated the terms of his bond by even speaking with Ramanauskas, who's a government witness in the public corruption case. 

The judge ordered Rizzo to report to the federal courthouse in downtown Detroit by noon on Tuesday, where he'll be sent to prison. 

Moments before revoking Rizzo's bond, the judge said, "The image I get from the National Geographic special I watched some time ago was a bunch of lions sizing up an antelope." And, with that, Rizzo lost his freedom.