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Former trash hauler Rizzo reaches plea deal for corruption charges

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Former trash haulers Chuck Rizzo and his father Charles are expected to plead guilty next month in federal court to a slew of corruption charges after a court filing on Wednesday.

The former trash hauling honchos have been at the center of a massive federal investigation that includes multiple elected officials in Macomb County.

The plea hearing is scheduled for Nov. 9 at 10:00 a.m. at the United States District Court Federal Building in Port Huron. 

The sweeping corruption investigation surrounding the Rizzo Environmental Services, formerly owned and headed by Chuck Rizzo and his father, Charles Rizzo.

According to the indictment, Chuck and Charles Rizzo schemed to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from the company Rizzo Environmental Services.  They’re accused of setting up a fake legal settlement, shell companies and stealing money to pay for Chuck Rizzo’s multi-million dollar mansion. 

They’re accused of stealing money from the company to for bribes to secure contracts in Macomb, Chesterfield and Clinton Townships.

There are numerous others named in this federal case, including elected official, Clinton Township Trustee, Dean Reynolds and the head of a major towing company, Gaspar Fiore.

Chuck Rizzo and his father are facing numerous bribery charges along with mail and wire fraud charges. He had originally pleaded not guilty to the charges and had been reportedly working with the feds, but when he wasn’t able to get a deal to keep him out of prison, that ended.