Man Who Turned Detroit Riverfront into Popular Attraction Faces Embezzlement Charges

A man who for years controlled the finances at a group that has turned Detroit’s riverfront into a popular attraction was charged Wednesday with embezzling tens of millions of dollars.

William Smith routinely used money from the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy to pay credit card bills for travel, hotels, limousines, household goods, clothing and jewelry, according to a criminal complaint unsealed in federal court.

The fraud is “simply astonishing in scale,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison, who pegged the theft at $40 million.

Read more at AP News