by P.D. Lesko
In July 2025, former Ypsilanti City Manager Frances McMullan appeared before the Hon. J. Cedric Simpson to be sentenced on what started out as a four count felony case for her use of her City of Ypsilanti credit card to make personal purchases. The charges were pled down to a 90-day misdemeanor, and Judge J. Cedric Simpson deferred McMullan’s 90-day sentence and waived fees with the exception of a $125 fine.
On June 4, 2024, the City of Ypsilanti sent out a press release in which residents were told “the Washtenaw County Prosecuting Attorney has criminally charged for City Manager Frances McMullan following an investigation by the Michigan State Police.” According to the City of Ypsilanti release, the Michigan State Police investigated allegations that McMullan “embezzled public funds while employed by the City.”
On Oct. 12, 2024, the Ann Arbor Independent revealed that former Ypsilanti City Manager Frances McMullan was under investigation by the Michigan State Police for alleged abuse of her city-provided credit card.Of the charges against McMullan brought by County Prosecutor Eli Savit, Ypsilanti City Manager Andrew Hellenga said, “These events are disappointing and underscore the importance of transparency and accountability, and a robust system of checks and balances.”
Frances McMullan was the City Manager of Ypsilanti from early-2019 to Aug. 2023. During the dozen years prior to 2019, McMullan held a variety of posts within Ypsilanti City government. In addition, McMullan worked for the City of Ann Arbor for 15 years.
In April 2019, shortly after McMullan was promoted to the position of City Manager, the City of Ypsilanti (for the first time) issued credit cards to its City Manager and City Clerk.
McMullan, who was paid $105,000 per year, reportedly explained her use of the business credit card to pay for over $14,500 in personal expenses within an eight month period by saying she had been “unclear” on the rules concerning the use of her city-provided credit card.
Credit card statements obtained through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request show that while she was the Ypsilanti City Manager, Frances McMullan used the City’s credit card almost daily to pay for items such as artwork, shoes, beauty supplies, prescriptions and designer clothing. McMullan paid to pull Equifax credit reports. She also used the credit card to pay $4,054 to a banquet hall in Livonia, MI.
Attorney John Shea represented McMullan and at the 2025 sentencing hearing, and told Judge Simpson, “This is a case that in my view never should have been brought. Ms. McMullan did use a public card for a private purpose, but she paid it back years ago, in full. This was out in the open. This was known by the City. This was discussed and it’s unfortunate years later someone decided they needed to make a law enforcement matter.”
Shay asked the Court to “consider a sentence that’s appropriate in light of what I’ve said.”
McMullan, when asked if she had anything to add, told Judge Simpson, “Sorry it had to come to this.”
The Judge then said he had looked through her case in great detail, then addressed McMullan and her attorney.
“It wasn’t as if what you did was necessarily right, but the [City] policy wasn’t set like it should have been in the first place,” Simpson said. He added: “What was more problematic for me is that everything was taken care of in an appropriate way and really protected the people, the citizens, yourself until somebody got upset, because you had the authority to make change, did what good public servants do and made that change, and then they just had a complaint because it [the change] didn’t benefit them.”
Simpson continued: “I get why they [the complainant] kind of kept on it, but their entire effort was spent to try to do something to sink you. That was not lost on this judge. I said to myself, ‘I’m gonna make the right thing happen.'”
Simpson talked about McMullan’s “service to the people” and said that a conviction on her record would be “repugnant” to him.
The Judge, who said he didn’t think the case should have been brought, placed McMullan on a one-month deferred sentence. The Judge then reduced fees due down to $125 and suspended the 90 day jail sentence resulting from the misdemeanor.
On Aug. 15, 2025 when McMullan contacted the A2Indy to request a follow up to the original June 4, 2024 article, she pitched the headline: “Judge vindicates former city manager of all charges.”
In the same email, Frances McMullan said, “A few weeks ago four counts of embezzling were dropped, and judge called the case repugnant and removed the No Contest plea saying that he would not allow a conviction on my record for this nonsense (my words). I received a one-month deferred sentence which means it goes away in one month and ordered to pay only $125 for the State fee. All others gone. No restitution. No jail. No probation. Nothing. It goes away.”
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