LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) — A Detroit jury has handed the Michigan State Police (MSP) a $58 million reprimand—compensation for a former city officer who spent months behind bars after what jurors deemed a botched and baseless investigation.

The verdict ends a legal fight stretching back nearly a decade for Sean MacMaster, who was cleared in 2019 of sexual assault charges Oakland County investigators had already dismissed years earlier, The Detroit News reported. Jurors found MSP Lt. David Busacca violated MacMaster’s Fourth Amendment rights by altering reports and leaving out exculpatory facts when seeking warrants.

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“This was the biggest travesty of justice I’ve seen in my 44-plus-year career,” former Oakland County Undersheriff Mike McCabe testified.

The investigation was pushed in part by then–Assistant Attorney General Brian Kolodziej, who resigned and was disbarred after admitting to a sexual relationship with a victim in another case. Court filings show Kolodziej worked with MacMaster’s ex-wife to revive the long-closed allegations and pulled in Busacca to press charges.

MacMaster’s attorney, Josh Blanchard, said the eight-figure award sends a clear message: “When you abuse your power, you get held responsible.”

Of the total verdict, more than $33 million was awarded for lost earnings, reputational damage, and legal bills, while an additional $25 million was levied as punitive damages. Whether the state will appeal—or how much of the tab taxpayers could end up covering—remains unclear.