Former Romulus Mayor Sentenced For Theft and Misuse of Campaign Funds

DETROIT – Former Romulus Mayor LeRoy Burcroff, 59, of Romulus, was sentenced to three years probation with four months home confinement following his theft and misuse of over $15,000 in campaign funds, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.

Ison was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Burcroff was elected mayor of the City of Romulus in 2014. As part of his election efforts, Burcroff established a committee to elect (CTE) fund entitled, “Committee to Elect LeRoy D. Burcroff.” According to court documents, over the next two-and-a-half years, Burcroff defrauded donors to his CTE account by using these campaign funds for his personal benefit rather than for his election. For example, in November 2017, Burcroff spent over $3,500 of his campaign donors’ money to pay for a family member’s wedding. Burcroff spent the CTE money on a church fee, a banquet room rental, flowers, and the wedding bar tab. In 2017 and 2018, Burcroff used CTE funds to pay over $11,600 in dues and expenses to a yacht club which he used for his personal benefit. On multiple occasions, Burcroff overpaid his yacht club dues using his campaign account, which resulted in the yacht club issuing a refund, which Burcroff deposited in his personal bank account. In 2018, Burcroff made a $1,000 donation of campaign funds to a trade industry with the hope that he would receive a promotion at his private sector job. In 2019, Burcroff spent over $4,000 of campaign funds on a personal vacation to Florida with friends.

United States Attorney Ison said, “Trust in our state’s campaign finance system is a critical component of a healthy representative democracy. Mr. Burcroff’s conviction and sentence underscores our commitment to ensuring that the citizens of the Eastern District are represented by public officials who have integrity and are seeking office not for their self-interest, but for the good of the people they are elected to represent.”

"The citizens of Michigan demand and deserve utmost trust and integrity in our campaign finance system," said Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the FBI in Michigan. "The former Mayor's actions severely undermined the confidence of those who bestowed trust and faith in him and his office. The FBI and law enforcement partners are fully dedicated to fighting public corruption by investigating and exposing corrupt officials whose greed erodes the public's trust in the government. We will not tolerate misconduct and will do everything we can to ensure justice is served."