May 18, 1992: Right from the Crime Fund Coffers TIME--The Weekly Newsmagazine--1992 May 18, 1992 Roger Keith Coleman:Due to Die
Time Magazine THE WEEK, Page 24 SOCIETY Right from the Crime Fund Coffers

Motown's erstwhile top cop gets caught with his hand in the till

When the police chief in a city as violence plagued as Detroit pilfers megabucks from a crime-fighting fund, no judge is likely to be lenient. Last week former police chief William Hart was convicted of stealing $2.6 million dollars from his department, in part to procure lavish gifts for his three mistresses. More money bankrolled a $1,000-a-week lottery habit and renovations on a Candadian vacation cottage. During the TV movie-like trial, an ex-police officer reported seeing $20,000 fall out of a cracked ceiling in Hart's house. The former chief's escapades could land him a 26-year prison sentence.