GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - A real estate agent who once served as Plainfield Township’s supervisor pleaded guilty Wednesday to a felony charge stemming from a real estate deal that occurred before he was elected to office.
Jay Dee Spencer pleaded guilty to unlawful engagement in the private act of banking, a four-year felony. In exchange for his plea, charges of false pretenses and embezzlement were dismissed.
The criminal charges stem from his business dealings in 2011 with a retired Vietnam War veteran.
Spencer was charged with false pretenses, embezzlement and larceny by conversion. The amount involved ranged from $20,000 to $50,000.
Under a plea agreement, Spencer is on the hook for $36,000 in restitution for funds converted to his own use. He’ll return to Kent County Circuit Court for sentencing in early July.
Spencer was elected supervisor of Plainfield Township, located north of Grand Rapids, in 2012. He decided not to seek reelection in 2016.
