State Attorney General Bill Schuette's investigation into what went wrong during the Flint water crisis has been going on for two years. During that time, Schuette has held several press conferences announcing new charges against those involved.
To date, 15 current and former state and local officials have been charged with 51 criminal charges for their role that led to the crisis.
(Read more: Why didn't state officials heed the warning signs in Flint?)
Four have pleaded to lesser charges and are helping investigators as part of their plea deal - Adam Rosenthal, a water quality analyst for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, former Flint utilities director Daugherty Johnson, former Flint water quality supervisor Mike Glasgow, and Corinne Miller, a former state epidemiologist.
The remaining eleven cases are currently in the trial phase of the investigation.
Below, you'll find information on all those charged, the dates they were charged, and the reasoning behind those charges.
Michigan Radio will continue to follow the developments in these cases.
MDEQ employees charged
Liane Shekter-Smith, former Chief of Drinking Water and Municipal Assistance
Charged on July 29, 2016 and again on June 14, 2017 for involuntary manslaughter
- 1 count - Homicide - Involuntary manslaughter (Felony: 15 Years and/or $7,500)
- 1 count - Misconduct in Office (Felony: 5 years and/or $10,000)
- 1 count - Willful Neglect of Duty (Misdemeanor: 1 year and/or $1,000)
Reason for charges: Despite knowing about Legionnaires’ disease concerns and lead level concerns in Flint’s drinking water, she allegedly failed in her duties to take corrective action and notify the public. She also allegedly actively concealed and misled officials about the evidence. Also allegedly failed to alert the public about a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak which led to the death of Robert Skidmore.
Result: Case pending
Stephen Busch, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality District 8 Water Supervisor
Charged on April 20, 2016 and again on June 14, 2017 for involuntary manslaughter
- 1 count - Homicide - Involuntary manslaughter (Felony: 15 Years and/or $7,500)
- 1 count - Misconduct in Office (Felony: 5 years and/or $10,000)
- 1 count - Conspiracy - Tampering with Evidence (Felony: 4 years and/or $10,000)
- 1 count - Tampering with Evidence (Felony: 4 years and/or $5,000)
- 1 count - Treatment Violation - Michigan Safe Drinking Water Act (Misdemeanor: 1 Year and/or $5,000.00 for each day of violation)
- 1 count - Monitoring Violation - Michigan Safe Drinking Water Act (Misdemeanor: 1 Year and/or $5,000.00 for each day of violation)
Reason for charges: Busch allegedly misled EPA officials about Flint’s use of proper corrosion control for its drinking water system. He also allegedly encouraged falsifying a federally mandated report on the safety of Flint’s water, and pushed improper drinking water testing protocols aimed at falsely improving test results. Also allegedly failed to alert the public about a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak which led to the death of Robert Skidmore.
Result: Case pending
Michael Prysby, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality District 8 Water Engineer
Charged on April 20, 2016
- 2 counts - Misconduct in Office Felony: 5 years and/or $10,000)
- 1 count - Conspiracy - Tampering with Evidence (Felony: 4 years and/or $10,000)
- 1 count - Tampering with Evidence (Felony: 4 years and/or $5,000)
- 1 count - Treatment Violation - Michigan Safe Drinking Water Act (Misdemeanor: 1 Year and/or $5,000.00 for each day of violation)
- 1 count - Monitoring Violation - Michigan Safe Drinking Water Act (Misdemeanor: 1 Year and/or $5,000.00 for each day of violation)
Reason for charges: Prysby allegedly approved the permit for the Flint water treatment plant despite knowing it couldn’t treat the water properly. He also allegedly misled EPA officials about Flint’s use of proper corrosion control for its drinking water system. He also allegedly encouraged falsifying a federally mandated report on the safety of Flint’s water, and pushed improper drinking water testing protocols aimed at falsely improving test results. He also allegedly failed to alert the public about a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak which led to the death of Robert Skidmore.
Result: Case pending
Patrick Cook, Specialist for Community Drinking Water Unit
Charged on July 29, 2016
- 1 count - Willful Neglect of Duty (Misdemeanor: 1 year and/or $1,000)
- 1 count - Misconduct in Office (Felony: 5 years and/or $10,000)
- 1 count - Conspiracy (Felony: 5 years and/or $10,000)
Reason for charges: He approved the permit allowing the Flint water treatment plant to treat the Flint River water. He allegedly took no corrective action once it was discovered there were problems with how the plant was operating and also allegedly misled the EPA by forwarding information about Flint’s corrosion control protection program he knew to be false.
Result: Case pending
Adam Rosenthal, Water Quality Analyst
Charged on July 29, 2016
- 1 count - Misconduct in Office (Felony: 5 years and/or $10,000)
- 1 count - Willful Neglect of Duty (Misdemeanor: 1 year and/or $1,000)
- 1 count - Conspiracy— Tampering with Evidence (Felony: 4 years and/or $10,000)
- 1 count - Tampering with Evidence (Felony: 4 years and/or $5,000)
Reason for charges: Allegedly participated in altering a federally mandated report on the safety of Flint’s water. He also allegedly knew Flint’s water treatment plant was not ready to treat the water safely and was warned of a potential corrosion problem in the city’s system.
Result: Rather than face the more serious felony charges against him, Rosenthal pleaded "no contest" to a public records charge on December 20, 2017. The one-year misdemeanor is expected to be dismissed provided he cooperates in other prosecutions.
MDHHS employees charged
Nick Lyon - MDHHS Director
Charged on June 14, 2017
- 1 count - Homicide - Involuntary manslaughter (Felony: 15 Years and/or $7,500)
- 1 count - Misconduct in Office (Felony: 5 years and/or $10,000)
Reason for charges: Allegedly caused the death of Robert Skidmore by not notifying the public about the potential for an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in Genesee County when he had information that another outbreak would occur. He also allegedly tried to prevent an independent investigation into the outbreak.
Result: Case pending
Eden Wells - MDHHS Chief Medical Executive
Charged on June 14, 2017
- 1 count - Obstruction Of Justice (Felony: 5 Years or $10,000)
- 1 count - Lying to a Peace Officer, (High Court Misdemeanor: 2 Years and/or $5,000)
Update: On October 9, 2017, Wells was given the additional charges of involuntary manslaughter and ?misconduct in office.
Reason for charges: Allegedly knowingly gave false testimony to an investigator about the date she knew about the Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Flint, Michigan.
Result: Case pending
Nancy Peeler, Director, Program for Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting
Charged on July 29, 2016
- 1 count - Misconduct in Office (Felony: 5 years and/or $10,000)
- 1 count - Conspiracy, (Felony, 5 years and/or $10,000)
- 1 count - Willful Neglect of Duty (Misdemeanor, 1 year and/or $1,000)
Reason for charges: Allegedly buried a report that showed a spike in children’s blood lead levels in the city of Flint in 2014. Then allegedly created a second report that showed no significant increase in those blood lead levels.
Result: Case pending
Robert Scott, Data Manager for the Healthy Homes and Lead Prevention program
Charged on July 29, 2016
1 count - Misconduct in Office (Felony: 5 years and/or $10,000)
- 1 count - Conspiracy, (Felony, 5 years and/or $10,000)
- 1 count - Willful Neglect of Duty (Misdemeanor, 1 year and/or $1,000)
Reason for charges: After a first report showed a spike in children’s blood lead levels in Flint for the summer of 2014, allegedly helped create a second report that showed no significant increase in those blood lead levels.
Result: Case pending
Corinne Miller, Former Director of the Bureau of Epidemiology and State Epidemiologist
Charged on July 29, 2016
- 1 count - Misconduct in Office (Felony: 5 years and/or $10,000)
- 1 count - Conspiracy, (Felony, 5 years and/or $10,000)
- 1 count - Willful Neglect of Duty (Misdemeanor, 1 year and/or $1,000)
Reason for charges: Miller was allegedly aware of dozens of cases of Legionnaires' disease in the Flint area around the same time the city changed its water source to the Flint River, but she didn't report it to the general public. She also allegedly took no action after receiving a report that showed an increase of lead in the blood levels of children in Flint in the summer of 2014, and actively instructed others to delete data that supported that report.
Result: Miller pleaded “no contest” for the misdemeanor charge. She was sentenced to 12 months probation and 300 hours of community service and had to pay a fine of more than $1,000. The other felony charges were dropped as part of a plea deal in exchange for helping prosecutors.
Emergency Managers charged
Darnell Earley, former Flint Emergency Manager
Charged on December 20, 2016 and again on June 14, 2017 for involuntary manslaughter
- 1 count - Homicide - Involuntary manslaughter (Felony: 15 Years and/or $7,500)
- 1 count - False Pretenses (Felony 20 Years and/or $35,000)
- 1 count - Conspiracy to Commit False Pretenses (Felony: 20 Years and/or $35,000)
- 1 count - Misconduct in Office (Felony, 5 Years and/or $10,000)
- 1 count - Willful Neglect of Duty in Office (Misdemeanor 1 Year and/or $1,000)
Reason for charges: Allegedly pushed for the water switch to the Flint River despite knowing the plant was not ready, and falsely accessed bonds the city couldn’t afford to help build the KWA pipeline. Allegedly discouraged a return to the safer Detroit water. He also allegedly failed to alert the public about a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak which led to the death of Robert Skidmore.
Result: Case pending
Gerald Ambrose, former Flint Emergency Manager
Charged on December 20, 2016
- 1 count - False Pretenses (Felony: 20 Years and/or $35,000)
- 1 count - Conspiracy to Commit False Pretenses (Felony: 20 Years and/or $35,000)
- 1 count - Misconduct in Office (Felony, 5 Years and/or $10,000)
- 1 count - Willful Neglect of Duty in Office (Misdemeanor, 1 Year and/or $1,000)
Reason for charges: Allegedly failed to protect public health, and hindered a county investigation into the Legionnaires’ outbreak. He also allegedly discouraged a return to Detroit water knowing the city’s plant could not treat Flint River water properly, and falsely accessed bonds the city couldn’t afford to help build the KWA pipeline.
Result: Case pending
City of Flint employees charged
Howard Croft, former Director of Public Works in Flint
Charged on December 20, 2016 and again on June 14, 2017 for involuntary manslaughter
- 1 count - Homicide - Involuntary manslaughter (Felony: 15 Years and/or $7,500)
- 1 count - False Pretenses (Felony: 20 Years and/or $35,000)
- 1 count - Conspiracy to Commit False Pretenses (Felony: 20 Years and/or $35,000)
Reason for charges: Allegedly “aided and abetted” EMs Ambrose and Earley by discouraging a return to Detroit water despite warnings that Flint’s treatment plant was not capable of treating Flint River water. Allegedly helped the EMs get bond money for the construction of the KWA pipeline by falsely claiming the money would be used for an emergency repair at the treatment plant. Also allegedly failed to alert the public about a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak which led to the death of Robert Skidmore.
Result: Case pending
Daugherty Johnson, former Flint Utilities Director
Charged on December 20, 2016
- 1 count - False Pretenses (Felony: 20 Years and/or $35,000)
- 1 count - Conspiracy to Commit False Pretenses (Felony: 20 Years and/or $35,000)
Reason for charges: Allegedly “aided and abetted” EMs Ambrose and Earley by discouraging a return to Detroit water despite warnings that Flint’s treatment plant was not capable of treating Flint River water. Allegedly helped the EMs get bond money for the construction of the KWA pipeline by falsely claiming the money would be used for an emergency repair at the treatment plant.
Result: Johnson pleaded "no contest" to a misdemeanor public records charge. When he returns to court in May, Johnson faces one year of prison or a fine of not more than $1,000. The plea deal means that he agrees to cooperate in pending cases in exchange for avoiding the felony charges.
Michael Glasgow, former City of Flint Laboratory and Water Quality Supervisor
Charged on April 20, 2016
- 1 count - Tampering with Evidence (Felony: 4 years and/or $5,000)
- 1 count - Willful Neglect of Duty (Misdemeanor, 1 year and/or $1,000)
Reason for charges: Glasgow changed some results on a federally mandated water quality report. The changes meant the lead contamination crisis in Flint continued to be concealed from the public. Glasgow said he was directed to change the report by the MDEQ’s Steven Busch and Mike Prysby.
Result: Charges were dropped as part of a plea deal in exchange for helping prosecutors.
This story was updated on April 24, 2018.
