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Criminal Justice

‘Even judges are not immune to theft,’ state AG says in announcing charges against former court clerk

By Debra Cassens Weiss

January 24, 2024, 11:11 am CST

A former court clerk in Wayne County, Michigan, has been charged with embezzling more than $60,000 from the judge for whom he worked.

Steven Allen, 42, of Detroit was accused of illegally obtaining the judge’s ATM card to make withdrawals and purchases, according to a Jan. 23 press release by the Michigan Department of Attorney General.

Law360, the Metro Times and the Detroit Free Press have coverage.

Allen is charged with embezzlement, using a computer to commit a crime, forgery and stealing or retaining a financial transaction device without consent.

The judge, who isn’t named in the press release, became aware of missing money when he was notified about delinquent taxes on a secondary property. Allen allegedly showed checks to the judge to make it look as if the tax was paid.

“Even judges are not immune to theft, embezzlement and fraud perpetrated against them by those they trust the most,” said Democratic Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel in the press release. “Truly anyone can fall victim to financial exploitation crimes.”

Allen is represented by the Neighborhood Defender Service in Detroit. A representative of that group did not immediately respond to the ABA Journal’s request for comment.