FLINT, Mich. – The former utilities director in Flint, Michigan, has pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor in an investigation of the city's lead-tainted water.
Daugherty Johnson's deal Tuesday means two felonies will be dropped. Defense attorney Edwar Zeineh (ZANY) says the misdemeanor also will be erased in the months ahead if Johnson continues to cooperate with the attorney general's office.
Flint didn't properly treat water from the Flint River in 2014 and 2015. As a result, corrosive water caused lead to break away in old pipes, contaminating the system.
Johnson had been charged with conspiracy and false pretenses in helping officials obtain money to build a new water pipeline.
More than a dozen people have been charged in the Flint water investigation, including state health director Nick Lyon. His case is pending.
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