LANSING (WKZO-AM) — Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III has been charged with ten misdemeanor counts of soliciting prostitutes and one felony count of enticing a woman into having sex for money, a 20-year felony.
He has also been charged with four misdemeanor counts of neglect of duty.
Attorney General Bill Schuette announced Dunnings and his brother Steven, who is a Lansing attorney, have both been charged with using the services of prostitutes.
His brother is charged with two misdemeanor counts. The liaisons allegedly took place in three different counties and occurred hundreds of times between 2010 and 2015, Schuette said.
Apparently, the FBI was investigating a commercial sex trafficking ring when they learned Dunnings was allegedly a regular patron. Dunnings allegedly used escort websites.
The leader of that trafficking ring, Tyrone Smith, recently pleaded guilty to three trafficking counts in federal court.
The 63-year-old Dunnings had been prosecutor in Ingham County since 1997.
Ingham County Sheriff Gene Wrigglesworth said there had been “chatter” about Dunning’s private life, but he kept it private, calling the situation disheartening.
He was arraigned in Jackson County. All the judges in Ingham County have recused themselves because they have been working with Dunnings for years.
Dunnings is free on a $5,000 personal recognizance bond.
