Former Wayne County CFO convicted of assault and domestic violence
Tony Saunders II, the former Wayne County Chief Financial Officer arrested twice last year for abusing his wife, was convicted June 13 of assault charges that could put him behind bars.
Saunders, who Wayne County Executive Warren Evans has credited with helping the county avoid bankruptcy when he served as the chief financial officer, appeared before Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Nanci Grant and pleaded no contest to a felony charge of assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder and a misdemeanor charge of domestic violence, second offense. A no contest plea in a criminal matter is like pleading guilty, but does not count as an admission of guilt in a civil lawsuit.
Saunders acknowledged agreeing to the terms of the plea deal that was revealed during the hearing, which was conducted on Zoom, while his victim, Tatiana Grant watched. The Free Press doesn't typically name victims of sexual and domestic violence, but Grant agreed to share her identity with the public to raise awareness of domestic violence issues.
Grant called the plea deal "a long overdue step toward justice."
"For far too long, Mr. Saunders inflicted harm without consequence," Grant said in a statement. "Today, he is finally being held accountable for his pattern of abuse against women. I sincerely hope that his upcoming sentence, beyond incarceration, is inclusive of mental health treatment."
Saunders' attorney Gerald Gleeson said in a statement that "Mr. Saunders feels true remorse and is committed to his recovery.
"He resolved the allegations against him today, and he will continue to take the necessary steps of recovery going forward."
Saunders was first arrested by Detroit Police on Jan. 10, 2024 after he beat Grant, grabbed her phone so she couldn't call for help, and threatened to kill her, her daughter and himself. Saunders was convicted of domestic violence last year after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor charge.
'I recall nearly two dozen incidents where he physically assaulted me," Grant told 36th District Court Judge Lynise Bryant at Saunder's sentencing in Detroit. "As a result, I have permanent scars on my face and body."
More: Why I went to court for a politico, a pastor and a wannabe Wayne judge
Todd Perkins, who was then representing Saunders, told judge Bryant his client was in treatment and was volunteering at Mariners Inn, a residential treatment center for addicts and homeless people located in Midtown Detroit.
Bryant sentenced Saunders to two years probation, 80 hours of community service and counseling.
Between his arrest and conviction in Detroit, Saunders was arrested in Troy on June 23, 2024 for assaulting Grant in her apartment.
The charges in that case revealed that Saunders had a domestic violence incident back in 2004, which put him at risk of a stiffer sentence if convicted of assaulting Grant.
According to a PPO application Grant filed last year against Saunders, she picked him up in an Uber on June 23, 2024 after he borrowed her car but couldn't find it.
"I could tell by his mannerisms he was under the influence of alcohol," Grant wrote. "He fell asleep on the couch, and I went through his phone. Then I accused him of cheating, consuming alcohol and not taking his mental health medication."She said Saunders "became enraged" and attacked her, punching and choking her. As they fought in her bedroom, knocking over furniture, she tried to stop him, but the fight moved into the living room, then back to the bedroom. She wrote that he banged her head into a wall in a hallway, leaving a hole in the drywall. The hallway is where she told Saunders to call his attorney because she was going to call 911.
"Then he said, 'Okay, I am going to kill you,'" Grant wrote, adding that he went to the kitchen in search of a knife.
"I had to fight him to prevent him from opening the knife drawers," she wrote. "Because he could not grab the knives, he grabbed a pair of metal tongs to kill himself. He had the tongs in his hands and said, 'I just need my shoes.' "
After forcing Saunders out of the apartment, Grant called police.
More: My year in review: Exposing politicians playing games and public officials' shame
Saunders was charged with felony assault and was scheduled to go on trial June 30, but instead pleaded no contest on June 13 to a felony assault and a misdemeanor domestic violence charge.
Gleeson told Grant the sentencing guidelines range from 0 to 17 months behind bars.
Saunders' sentencing is scheduled for 11 a.m. on July 23 in Oakland County Circuit Court.
Grant said she wants his sentence to include jail time.M.L. Elrick is a Pulitzer Prize- and Emmy Award-winning investigative reporter, director of student investigative reporting program Eye On Michigan, and host of the ML's Soul of Detroit podcast. Contact him at mlelrick@freepress.com or follow him on X at @elrick, Facebook at ML Elrick and Instagram at ml_elrick.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Former Wayne County CFO convicted of assault and domestic violence
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