Dunnings has served as Ingham County Prosecutor since 1997. The current 15 charges could be increased and span incidents covering three counties from 2010 to 2015. While there had long been rumors that Dunnings was involved in prostitution, a 2015 FBI human trafficking investigation against Tyrone Smith led to Dunnings. One count alleges that Dunnings induced a woman to become a prostitute who had not previously been one — a charge that could led to up to 20 years in prison.
Dunnings’ brother, Lansing attorney Stephen Dunnings, is also being charged with two counts.
Dunnings, as a former prosecutor, is looking at the harshest possible sentence if convicted given his position of power. That will add considerable pressure for a plea bargain but prosecutors know that the public is going to be sensitive to anything that smells like a sweetheart deal for a fellow prosecutor.