Paralegal in U.S. Attorney’s Office Suspended

Michigan paralegal Wendolyn Greene (formerly Johnson), an employee in the special prosecutions unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Michigan, has been suspended. The Detroit News is reporting that she is suspected of leaking information to Detroit political consultant Sam Riddle, when he became embroiled in the Synagro Technologies Inc. bribery scandal last year.

The Synagro investigation is part of a wide-ranging and long-running investigation of City Hall corruption, including bribes paid in connection with contracts at the Cobo Center and payments made to business consultant Bernard N. Kilpatrick, the father of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.

As a result of the investigation, Monica Conyers, former Detroit City Council President Pro-Tem, resigned on Monday, after pleading guilty on Friday to accepting bribes from Synagro Technologies "in exchange for her vote on a $47 million sludge hauling deal." Riddle was a former top aide to Conyers, and has not been charged to date in connection with the scandal.

Riddle’s attorney admits that he was friends with Greene but did not address allegations that she shared information with him regarding the ongoing federal investigation while they were dating. Greene told the Detroit News via telephone that she does not work for the U.S. Attorney’s Office but a spokesperson for the office says that she remains employed.

The investigation of the allegations against Greene is being conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Grand Rapids.