Lansing — Kellie Lauwers, the wife of Michigan state Sen. Dan Lauwers, is facing two felony charges, according to court records, after a small chamber of commerce in St. Clair County accused her of stealing from the organization.
On Friday, Kellie Lauwers, who had been the treasurer of the Yale Area Chamber of Commerce, was charged with one count of embezzlement and one count of using a computer to commit a crime, according to a complaint filed in Port Huron’s 72nd District Court and obtained by The Detroit News.
Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years behind bars. The warrant was signed by Michael Frezza, an assistant attorney general. The Michigan State Police conducted the investigation, according to the court records.
A lawyer for Kellie Lauwers didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Dan Lauwers, a Republican from Brockway Township, declined to comment when contacted Monday morning by The Detroit News.
A report from investigators that was submitted to the court said an audit, requested by the Michigan State Police, identified a total loss of $35,200 for the Yale area business organization.
The Michigan State Police also obtained a search warrant for bank accounts belonging to Kellie Lauwers.
“The returned bank data revealed 11 fraudulent transactions occurring between December 2022 and July 2024,” the report said. “These transactions included unauthorized cash withdrawals from the chamber’s Tri-County Bank account and deposits of checks drawn from the same account and made payable to Lauwers.
“One such transaction for $4,000, dated March 28, 2024, was mobile deposited and bore Lauwers’ endorsement.”
She had the authority to make cash withdrawals because of her position as the organization’s treasurer, said the report, created by a Michigan State Police trooper.
Kate DeRue, president of the Yale Area Chamber of Commerce, submitted a statement to police, saying that Kellie Lauwers had been confronted about the discrepancies during a meeting on Nov. 25, 2024.
“During that meeting, Lauwers admitted to embezzling significant amounts of money over several years,” the trooper’s report said.
Kellie Lauwers declined to provide a statement to law enforcement and her “current whereabouts are unknown,” the report said.
A statement from Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office Monday said an arraignment date has not yet been set for Kellie Lauwers.
“Chambers of commerce play an important role in supporting small businesses and strengthening local economies, and individuals trusted with managing their finances are expected to do so with integrity,” Nessel said. “My office remains committed to holding accountable those who embezzle funds meant to support these organizations.”
Dan Lauwers has served as a state legislator in Lansing for longer than a decade. He is currently a member of Senate Republicans’ leadership team, holding the position of minority floor leader. He’s in his second term in the Senate and previously served in the state House.
The Detroit News reported in February 2025 that a law enforcement investigation into allegations against Kellie Lauwers was ongoing.
Kellie Lauwers served as the Yale area chamber’s treasurer from 2019 until February 2025, according to the Attorney General’s office.
In a lawsuit that was previously filed against Kellie Lauwers, the Yale Area Chamber of Commerce said it uncovered “discrepancies” in its financial statements and eventually determined Kellie Lauwers “had been writing herself checks in large amounts out of the chamber’s bank accounts.”
The suit accused Kellie Lauwers of forging names on the checks to get around the organization’s two-signature requirement for expenditures. The suit also contended that Kellie Lauwers improperly used the group’s debit card “for her own personal expenditures, including use at Dollar General.”
Yale is a rural farming community with about 2,000 residents in northern St. Clair County, about 65 miles north of Detroit. The local chamber of commerce has an annual budget of about $80,000 and puts on the annual Yale Bologna Festival, said Barbara Stasik, a member of the organization’s board.
cmauger@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Michigan state senator’s wife is being charged with embezzlement
Reporting by Craig Mauger, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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