LANSING – Today, Jerry and Tamal Flore, both of DeWitt, were bound over to stand trial in the 29th Circuit Court in Clinton County on a combined 26 criminal child abuse felonies, announced Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. The Flores are accused of adopting children for financial gain and subjecting the children to abuse under the guise of discipline, dating back to 2007.
“Every child, regardless of their background or circumstances, deserves a safe and nurturing home," Nessel said. "Child abuse is a devastating act of violence that shatters innocence and leaves deep, lasting scars. My office is dedicated to protecting children, ensuring they receive the support they deserve, and prosecuting those responsible for these heinous crimes.”
Jerry Flore, 58, faces 11 charges:
- Counts 1-6: Child Abuse 1st Degree, a potential life-sentence felony;
- Count 7: Child Abuse 1st Degree Committed in the Presence of Another Child, a potential life-sentence felony;
- Count 8: Conspiracy to Commit Child Abuse 2nd Degree, a 10-year felony;
- Count 9: Child Abuse 2nd Degree, a 10-year felony;
- Count 10: Child Abuse 2nd Degree, a 10-year felony; and
- Count 11: Interfering with a Crime Report, a one-year misdemeanor.
Tamal Flore, 56, faces 17 charges:
- Counts 1-6: Child Abuse 1st Degree, a potential life-sentence felony;
- Count 7: Child Abuse 1st Degree Committed in the Presence of Another Child, a potential life-sentence felony;
- Count 8: Conspiracy to Commit Child Abuse 2nd Degree, a ten-year felony;
- Counts9 -10: Child Abuse2 ndDegree,a ten-yearfelony;
-Counts11 -16 :ChildAbuse3 rdDegree,a two-yearfelony ;and
-Count17 :InterferingwithaCrimeReport ,aone -yearmisdemeanor .
The Flore defendants were charged by the Department of Attorney General in December of2023 alongside defendants Joel and Tammy Brown .Visiting Judge James Borchard did not bind overtheBrownsonthechildabuseoffenseswithwhichtheywerecharged .JoelBrownisafor merMichiganDepartmentofHealthandHumanServicesemployee ,wherehew orkedwithin t heChildren ’sServicesAdministrationOfficeofFamilyAdvocateandstillfacesonecountofI nterferingwithaCrimeReport ,aone -yearmisdemeanor ,andonecountofFailuretoReportC hildAbuse ,a93-daymisdemeanor .
The DepartmentofAttorneyGeneral’sinvestigationintobothfamiliesproducedextensiveevidence,presentedatthisweek’spreliminaryexamination,o fabuse.Theevidencesupportingt hedepartment’schargesincludes :
-InvestigativedocumentsobtainedbytheMichiganDepartmentofHealthandHumanServices ;
-I nterviewswith10oftheadoptedchildren(adultsandminors),ChildProtectiveServicesan dDHHSemployees ;
-P hotosandvideosfromtheFlorehome ;
-A doptionsubsidypaymentandmedicalbenefitrecords ;and
-M edicalevaluationsonallpotentialvictims .
TheFloreswillnextappearinthe29thCircuitCourtbeforeJudgeShannonSchlegelonOctober14 ,2024 ,at9a.m .
Please note :Forallcriminalproceedings ,acriminalchargeismerelyanallegation .Thedefendantispresumedinnocentunlessandtillprovenguilty .TheDepartmentdoesnotprovidebookingphotos .