Hamtramck council keeps two members on ballot after police residency inquiry referred to state police

The Hamtramck City Council on May 13 declined to remove two seated council members after a police investigation into their stated residences and then voted to allow both to remain candidates on the upcoming election ballot.

Special Investigator David Yamczyk, reading a statement at the start of the meeting, told the council the Hamtramck election commission had received sworn affidavits for candidates Abu Ahmed Musa and Muheed Mahmood by the April filing deadline, and that an internal probe found “substantial discrepancies” between those affidavits and independent investigative findings. Yamczyk said investigators used records, neighborhood canvassing and surveillance and that the Hamtramck Police Department forwarded the matter to the state police for further criminal investigation.

Yamczyk said the probe identified different addresses than those listed in the affidavits: the statement reported that Mr. Musa declared a Hamtramck address at 11441 (address in filing) but investigators located him at 28045 Kingswood Court in Warren, Mich.; Mr. Mahmood declared 3119 Holbrook Street in Hamtramck but investigators located him at 5555 Patterson Street in Troy, Mich. The statement also said investigators found an active federal tax lien of $32,575.50 tied to Mr.…