Fired officer accused of misusing LEIN system
A former Clinton Township road patrol officer was arraigned Monday for allegedly misusing a law enforcement database on his own time, prosecutors said.
John Hreno, 36, stood mute during the court proceedings where he was charged in 41B District Court with violating the Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN). Magistrate Ryan Zemke set a personal bond at $5,000, meaning the officer did not have to post any money to remain free.
Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido said it is his office’s obligation to make sure the law applies equally to everyone, regardless of their profession or position.
“No shield can protect one from the consequences of violating that trust, for in our pursuit of justice, no one stands above the law,” Lucido said.
Authorities said an audit conducted by the Michigan State Police concluded that on Wednesday, August 24, 2022, Hreno allegedly ran a license plate into LEIN that was never a focus of investigation by the Clinton Township Police Department.
There was allegedly no valid law enforcement reason to run the license plate, prosecutors said.
The system is a computerized criminal justice database that includes a person’s criminal history, including criminal arrests, criminal convictions and driving record information, and often contains records from other states
Violation of the LEIN system is a misdemeanor offense punishable by up to 93 days in jail.
Clinton Township Supervisor Robert Cannon last week confirmed he authorized the officer’s firing this week, but declined to comment on details on the case. The Clinton Township police officer’s union is expected to file a grievance to challenge the charges against Hreno.
Township officials told The Macomb Daily Hreno was also being investigated for domestic terrorism, but a spokesperson for the Prosecutor’s Office said the only warrant request delivered by the police was for the LEIN charge.
The Macomb Daily left messages seeking comment from Police Chief Dina Caringi and Douglas Gutscher, a defense attorney for the Police Officers Association of Michigan.
If convicted on the misdemeanor charge, Hreno faces 93 days in jail.
His next court date is May 15 for a pre-trial hearing before Judge Jacomb Femminineo Jr.