A new report by a Detroit law firm alleges that three Hamtramck officials engaged in misconduct and should be disciplined.
The 59-page report claims that Hamtramck Police Chief Jamiel Altaheri and Officer David Adamczyk, currently on leave, “engaged in significant misconduct that warrants corrective action beyond their current administrative leave.” The report by law firm Miller Johnson, dated Aug. 24, also alleges that Hamtramck city manager Max Garbarino failed to “take timely corrective action with respect toAltaheri, which was “inconsistent with his duties as city manager and affords a basis for discipline.”
The report by Miller Johnson was requested by city officials after accusations were made in May against city officials. The report was not released publicly by Miller Johnson and is currently not posted on a city website, but Hamtramck Mayor Amer Ghalib confirmed to the Free Press that there is a report by Miller Johnson that has been completed and was posted on a website and on Facebook. City manager Odey Meroueh also provided the Free Press with a copy of the report.
Among the allegations is that Altaheri had problems with alcohol and drove drunk to a strip club with other officers in September. City employees said he often came to work reeking of alcohol, according to Garbarino, the report said.
“The investigation substantiated a widely known instance of Altaheri driving recklessly in his city-issued truck after consuming alcohol,” the report said. “The evidence established that on September 19, 2024, after attending an officer appreciation party and consuming alcohol, Altaheri drove to and from a strip club, with other officers riding with him, in his city-issued truck. He activated his police lights to run red lights and drove erratically. Multiple witnesses observed him consuming significant amounts of alcohol and/or appearing inebriated before driving that night.”
The report also alleges Altaheri and Adamczyk were involved in recovering a stolen car, outside of police procedures.
“The investigation substantiated that Altaheri participated in the recovery of a vehicle that had been reported as stolen without following standard police practices and procedures,” Miller Johnson said. “The vehicle, an expensive Mercedes Benz, was in the possession of one of Altaheri’s acquaintances. … Although there were differing accounts as to whose idea this escapade was, with Altaheri and Adamczyk pointing fingers at each other, it is undisputed that both of them participated in the conduct and failed to follow basic police procedures governing the recovery of a stolen car.”
Another claim is that Altaheri tried to use police officers to help him in a custody dispute involving a 2-year-old son.
In a statement to the Free Press, Altaheri said: “I strongly dispute many of the conclusions drawn within it. … I ask the public to withhold judgment until all facts are fairly considered, and due process is completed.”
Altaheri, hired in February 2024, was the first minority to be police chief in Hamtramck and has been praised by many residents for his outreach to the city’s diverse communities. Hamtramck has the highest percentage of immigrants among cities in Michigan. His supporters have said at recent City Council meetings that the accusations against Altaheri, a Muslim immigrant from Yemen, are rooted in bias against Arab Americans and Muslims as they acquire more political power. In the past, residents have complained that Hamtramck police were out of touch with its diverse residents. To connect with communities, Altaheri started Hamtramck’s first Police Citizens Academy, which was praised by Arab American, Bangladeshi American and faith leaders.
The report alleges that a sex offender was one of the members of the Citizens Academy.
“None of the Citizens Academy members were required to undergo background checks, resulting in a sex offender becoming a member of the Citizens Academy and being issued a Hamtramck ID for it,” the report said. The report does not name the sex offender.
“As police chief, I have always worked to build stronger ties between our officers and the community we serve,” Altaheri said in his statement. “Under my leadership, we have expanded community outreach, modernized operations of the department, and made important strides in public safety. It is unfortunate that these positive contributions are absent from the report.”
Altaheri added that he understands “the seriousness of the concerns raised. I am committed to working with the mayor, city council, and the city’s legal team to address those concerns in a way that strengthens our department and the city we serve with pride and honor. I believe that accountability and fairness must go hand in hand.”
Garbarino could not be reached for comment. He and Adamczyk filed a lawsuit in June against city officials, alleging wrongdoing by Altaheri and bias against them because they are white.
The report also criticized Adamczyk’s behavior, accusing him of trying “to rig the sergeant’s examination,” secretly recording conversations with other officers and Altaheri. The report says the officer was using the recordings and manipulating the exam to gain leverage and power for himself.
Adamczyk also committed overtime abuse, the report said. Adamczyk could not be reached for comment.
The report also alleges that Altaheri tried to help obtain a police ID for Mark Zarkin, who owns Steven Lelli’s Inn On the Green restaurant in Farmington Hills and was the former deputy chief of the Wayne County sheriff’s reserve officers unit. Zarkin was once convicted of and served time in jail for sexual assault and was previously listed on Michigan’s sex offender registry, the Free Press reported in 2019. A memo in May, believed to have been written by Adamczyk and obtained by the Free Press, alleges that Zarkin and Altaheri had worked on trying to get a pardon from President Donald Trump for a wealthy acquaintance of Altaheri in New York City convicted of financial crimes. The claims about the pardon were also alleged in the lawsuit filed in June by Garbarino and Adamczyk.
“The investigation established that at least two City ID cards were created for Mark Zarkin for some unknown reason,” the Miller Johnson report said, but added “that conduct does not appear to have violated any existing policies or procedures, or employment expectations.”
At one point, “Altaheri called the evidence technician and offered him overtime to make another ID for Zarkin,” the report said. “This time, at Altaheri’s request, the evidence technician made an ID for Zarkin — using the HPD (Hamtramck Police Department) template — that said ‘Chief Director of Political and Community Affairs.'”
The title of Zarkin on the ID was later changed to just say “Chief Director.”
“Creating any Hamtramck ID card for Zarkin showed poor judgment,” the report said. “Zarkin was not employed by the city in any capacity, much less in a police role. He did not pass a background check; he was previously terminated from a law enforcement position because of a since-vacated conviction for criminal sexual conduct; and providing him a city or HPD (Hamtramck Police Department) ID risked creating a misimpression among city employees or third parties about what his role or authority might be. It is not difficult to imagine that someone in Zarkin’s shoes, once provided with such an ID, might use it falsely to identify himself as a police officer in violation of Michigan law.”
A woman who returned a message left with Zarkin’s restaurant seeking comment from him said to call later.
The report did not take a position on the pardon allegations.
“One of the allegations raised by Adamczyk involved a pardon-related scheme,” the report said. “Given the inherent limitations on this internal investigation, as well as the possible involvement of law enforcement, this investigation did not address those allegations and expresses no opinion on them.”
While the Miller Johnson report recommended punishment for the three officials, it said the city “should be mindful of applicable procedural requirements and litigation risk,” urging the city to follow collective bargaining agreements, city employment agreements and charter rules. Adamczyk is part of the city’s collective bargaining agreement, while Altaheri and Garbarino are at-will employees.
The report is to be discussed at the Hamtramck council meeting tonight, Aug. 26, according to the council’s agenda.
Contact Niraj Warikoo: nwarikoo@freepress.com, X @nwarikoo or Facebook @nwarikoo
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Investigative report alleges Hamtramck officials engaged in ‘significant misconduct’
Reporting by Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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