Ex-Detroit cop sentenced to 80 months in prison for collision shop bribery scheme

A former Detroit cop was sentenced Tuesday to 80 months in federal prison for taking cash bribes from auto collision shops in exchange for referring stolen and abandoned vehicles recovered in the city to them.

The sentencing of Deonne Dotson, 49, comes after a jury found him guilty of six counts of extortion in November 2019. His sentencing was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dodson was the last of six former Detroit police officers to be sentenced in the extortion scheme. The others – Charles Wills, James Robertson, Jamil Martin, Martin Tutt, and Anthony Careathers – have served time in federal prison.

According to prosecutors, Dotson also doctored police reports in exchange for bribes from collision shops.

“The overwhelming majority of Detroit Police Officers are honest, hard-working, and superb public servants,” Acting United States Attorney Saima Mohsin said in a written statement. “Dotson’s conviction and 80 months’ sentence shows that no one is above the law, and when police officers commit crimes and violate their oath to protect and serve the public, they will be held accountable.”

Timothy Waters, special agent in charge of the FBI's Detroit Field Office, added: "Mr. Dotson abused his authority as a law enforcement officer by engaging in conduct designed to benefit him personally. "His actions are in stark contrast to the professionalism and integrity shown by the Detroit Police Department on a daily basis."

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