Former Detroit City Councilwoman Monica Conyers (David Guralnick / The Detroit News)
Former Detroit City Councilwoman Monica Conyers is back to work in Detroit, but her new role is far removed from politics.
Conyers, who is finishing up a 37-month sentence in connection with the corruption probe in city hall, is now working at Metrotech Collision repair shop in Corktown.
"She's been here for about 2 ½ months," said shop owner Sam Hussein. "She's doing a great job."
Conyers was sentenced to 37 months at Alderman Federal Prison Camp - also known as "Camp Cupcake"— after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery. She was allowed to move back to Detroit January 25 to finish the sentence under home confinement. Her sentence is up May 16.
One of the conditions of her confinement is that she seeks a job. That was how she ended up at the collision shop, located near the intersection of Michigan Avenue and Brooklyn Street, working about 30 hours a week answering phones, doing administrative work and working with insurance providers.
"She applied for the job. We asked her to submit her resume, which she did, and we saw she had great credentials," said Hussein.
Conyers, 48, is the wife of U.S. Rep. John Conyers. She served as president of the Detroit City Council between September 2008 and May 2009. She was sentenced in March 2010.
Conyers was the biggest name convicted in the years-long federal probe until Monday's conviction of former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, his longtime contractor friend Bobby Ferguson and his father Bernard Kilpatrick on a combined 34 charges.
The men were taken straight to jail following the jury's verdict and await sentencing on charges that include racketeering, bribery and extortion.
Conyers is not allowed to speak to the media as a condition of her release, Hussein said Saturday. He said while the ongoing corruption probe did give him pause, he ultimately decided to give Conyers a chance.
"Those charges are always a concern, but when I thought about what she's doing to put the past behind her, I realized I can only judge her based on what she's doing for us," he said. "And so far, she's doing a great job."
(313) 316-7387
Join the Conversation
The Detroit News aims to provide a forum that fosters smart, civil discussions on the news and events that we cover. The News will not condone personal attacks, off topic posts or brutish language on our site. If you find a comment that you believe violates these standards, please click the "X" in the upper right corner of the post to report it.