West Bloomfield police officer charged in ticket fixing case

WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich. (WXYZ) - A police officer who has been on the job in West Bloomfield for seventeen years could lose his career and his freedom.

Officer Jeffrey Pindzia is accused of soliciting more than a thousand dollars from a resident who was involved in a minor traffic accident last November.

The Police Department became aware of the allegations when a resident complained about being asked for money through a "middle man" in exchange for having citations dismissed. 

The tickets were related to the traffic crash.

Both officer Pindzia and 31-year-old Rudy Gammo, the alleged "middle man," were arraigned on charges of Misconduct in Office and Conspiracy.

Police Chief Mike Patton says this is a sad situation, but credits the department with "policing itself" in this case.

"This is counter to all the training and values that we have... Any allegations of such incidents will always be thoroughly investigated and they will never be tolerated," said Chief Patton.

The 38-year-old officer was relieved of duty on Monday and surrendered to the court for arraignment Tuesday afternoon. He and his alleged accomplice face up to five years in prison and fines if convicted.

Officer Pindzia's lawyer says his client is not guilty and implied that Officer Pindzia was being set up. Pindzia has a spotless record and was released on $2,000 bond.

Because Rudi Gammo has an extensive criminal record, he would need to post $100,000 bond to be released.