Ingham County Prosecutor Cops a Deal in Prostitution Bust

The Lansing State Journal reports that 63 year old former Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III copped a plea deal yesterday in Jackson County, pleading guilty to a felony on charge of misconduct in office, which leaves him facing up to five years in prison. He also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of engaging in the service of a prostitute.

Dunnings had been charged with fifteen prostitution related crimes here in Ingham County. He was also charged for crimes in Ionia and Clinton counties. He was busted during a federal investigation into sex trafficking in Michigan.

The most serious of the charges against Dunnings was pandering, which is coercing a woman who was not a prostitute to be paid for sex. The pandering charge is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The deal worked with the Attorney General Bill Schuette’s office included dismissal of pandering and the majority of the other prostitution related charges.

Dunnings did not comment to the press yesterday.

Schuette tweeted yesterday that  "women will not be revictimized in a trial setting as we pursue justice".

Interesting.