Two Muskegon Heights Council Members Charged Over City Property Deals After City Hall Raid

Status: Charged; presumed innocent. These are charges, not convictions. Collins's attorney says he didn't break the law. Both council members are presumed innocent.

The charges

Muskegon County Prosecutor DJ Hilson charged two Muskegon Heights City Council members (MLive):

• Derrick Lamar Collins, 61: a felony count of public servant contracting to purchase residential property. It concerns 2301 Reynolds Ave.
• Lashae Felice Simmons, 62: a misdemeanor count of willful neglect of duty by a public official. It concerns a land deal at 3327 Eighth St.

The prosecutor's memo

Hilson's Oct. 27 memo says the council voted in 2021 to sell the Reynolds property to Collins, and the city attorney prepared the deed in 2025.

• The law: Michigan law generally bars public servants from contracting with the bodies they serve. The memo says the residential exception doesn't apply to elected officials.
• Simmons: the memo doesn't spell out her alleged conduct. Hilson said the details will come out in court.
• A prior warning: in January 2025, an interim city manager's memo warned about conflicts on tax-reverted properties. Then-Mayor Bonnie McGlothin forwarded it to council members, including both Collins and Simmons.

The wider investigation

The case grew out of the July 23 search of City Hall. The prosecutor called it "an active financial and drug crime investigation."

• Agencies: the FBI, DEA, IRS and Michigan State Police are involved.
• Scale: more than 7,000 digital items have been reviewed.
• The former city manager: Shawnderrick Roberson faces separate drug and state tax-evasion charges.

"Today's charges and the release of the investigative memorandum are not the close of this investigation," Hilson said.

The defense

Collins's attorney says Collins didn't break the law. Simmons's response was not in the source.