A Michigan State Police trooper assigned to the Niles post is facing a felony charge of embezzlement. Michigan State Police tell us Jesse Binns was arraigned in the Cass County District Court on a charge of embezzlement between $1,000 and $20,000 from a non-profit or charitable organization on Tuesday. The charge was authorized by a special prosecutor assigned out of Kalamazoo County. The criminal charge results from Binns’ employment as the assistant chief at Cass Central Fire Department. However, state police suspended Binns without pay in September of 2018. In a statement, Michigan State Police say the department has a “long-standing tradition of demanding the highest possible standards of professional conduct from its enforcement and civilian members.” Binns will remain on suspension pending the outcome of the case.
