Woman charged after accusing deputy of rape stalked, threatened him, police said
Lansing State Journal
September 26, 2018
CHARLOTTE — A Charlotte woman who is accused of falsely reporting that an Eaton County Sheriff's Deputy raped her also stalked the deputy and sent a nude photo of him to his current girlfriend, according to court records.
Kellie Bartlett, 35, was charged in Eaton County Friday with 10 felonies and four misdemeanors in connection to the false report.
Bartlett filed a complaint with Michigan State Police in January, reporting that the deputy had sexually assaulted her in March 2017. The investigation, however, determined Bartlett was a "willing and consenting partner in this act," Michigan State Police Detective Sgt. Erik Darling testified in a hearing that led to criminal charges.
Bartlett worked with the deputy at the sheriff's office and they began a relationship in late 2015, according to a news release from the Barry County Prosecutor's Office. Their relationship ended in spring 2017. Barry County Prosecutor Julie Nakfoor Pratt is prosecuting the case because Eaton County Prosecutor Doug Lloyd recused his office.
After that, Bartlett began stalking the deputy, Darling said. She allegedly created a fake email account and Facebook profile for the deputy, and accessed his gmail account without his consent or knowledge, Darling said.
Messages were left seeking comment with Bartlett and her attorney Kelly Fletcher Tuesday morning.
In an interview in January, Bartlett told the State Journal the deputy never addressed the alleged assault directly, but said the day after the incident he told her: "If it comes down to your word or mine it’s going to be me they’re going to believe.”
Bartlett worked at the sheriff's office from 2008 through December 2017, when she was fired.
After she and the deputy broke up, Bartlett sent a nude photo of the deputy to his current girlfriend, Darling testified. She repeatedly tried to contact the woman, Darling said, even though the woman had blocked Bartlett on Facebook.
She used resources at the sheriff's department to download police reports and to look up personal information on the deputy, Darling said.
"This is a continuation of Bartlett stalking (the victim) and was done outside of any job related responsibilities or access that Bartlett had," he testified. The State Journal is not naming the deputy because he has not been charged with a crime.
Throughout the summer of 2017, Bartlett sent "numerous harassing and threatening text messages to him," despite repeated requests to stop, Darling testified. She also used work computers to find and inspect internal investigations that she was the primary subject of, Darling said.
In January Bartlett told the State Journal she continued to contact the deputy, in part, because she had loaned him money and wanted him to repay it.
"I didn’t know how to handle it, and I didn’t want to upset the apple cart at work because I knew if I went up against him…he said it to me, and I’ve always known it anyways, that if it came down to me or him at the department it was going to be him," Bartlett said in January.
Although the deputy was under investigation for sexual assault, he was never taken off patrol or put on administrative leave, Barry County Prosecutor Julie Nakfoor Pratt said. Eaton County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Jerri Nesbitt and Sheriff Tom Reich declined to comment on the deputy's status.
Reich's office declined to release the department's policy on when officers must be placed on administrative leave. The State Journal is seeking that policy through a public records request.
Bartlett told the State Journal in January that she didn't initially report the alleged sex assault because she thought she'd be accused of lying.
"I felt like I kept getting the treatment that I’m just a scorned woman, that I’m just crazy and I think if I had come out with it at that time it would have looked even worse," Bartlett said. "I think it would have just been chalked up to that.”
She said she decided decided to report the incident after the sheriff's office fired her because she no longer feared losing her job.
But when she spoke to the state police, they cautioned her about the harm a complaint could do to the deputy's reputation, Bartlett told the State Journal in January.
“The first thing he said to me was he hopes I’m not just a woman scorned because I’ll be charged with filing a false police report if that’s the case,” Bartlett said.
A message was left with Michigan State Police Detective 1st Lt. Tom DeClercq Tuesday.
Bartlett was arraigned Friday after the nine-month long investigation. Nakfoor Pratt said the material in the case was "voluminous and multifaceted," which is why it took months to review.
Bartlett is charged with:
- Two counts of using a computer to commit a crime
- Two counts of identity theft
- Three counts of unauthorized access to a computer
- One count felony conspiracy
- One count false report of a felony
- Two counts misdemeanor stalking
- One count of intentional dissemination of sexually explicit visual material
- Two misdemeanor counts of using a computer to commit a crime
Her bail was set at $50,000 cash or surety. She posted bond and was not in custody at the Eaton County Jail as of Wednesday.
Mid-Michigan police chief charged with lying to detectives
Associated Press State Wire: Michigan (MI)
May 1, 2019
https://infoweb.newsbank.com/
CHARLOTTE, Mich. (AP) — A mid-Michigan police chief has been arraigned on official misconduct and other charges for allegedly lying that his wife had been sexually assaulted by a sheriff's deputy.
Potterville Police Chief Shane Bartlett also was arraigned Wednesday on charges of lying to police in a violent crime investigation and making a false report of a felony.
His attorney, Matt Newburg, says he'll vigorously challenge the allegations.
Authorities say the charges stem from a Michigan State Police investigation that started when Bartlett's wife, Kellie, accused an Eaton County deputy of sexual assault. Kellie Bartlett at the time was a clerk with the Eaton County Sheriff's Office. She's been charged with filing a false report and several other counts.
Potterville City Manager Aaron Sheridan said Shane Bartlett has been suspended with pay.
Michigan police chief charged for lying in sexual assault investigation
Jackson Citizen Patriot: Web Edition Articles (MI)
May 1, 2019
https://infoweb.newsbank.com/
POTTERVILLE, MI – A Michigan police chief is facing three felonies for allegedly aiding his wife in filing a false police report accusing a sheriff's deputy of sexually assaulting her.
The Barry County Prosecutor's Office has issued charges against Potterville Police Chief Shane Bartlett, of Charlotte, accusing him of lying to investigators and misconduct in office.
The Michigan Attorney General's Office appointed the Barry County Prosecutor's Office to handle the case after Eaton County Prosecutor Doug Lloyd recused his office to avoid a conflict of interest.
Bartlett was arraigned, May 1, in Charlotte District Court in Eaton County on one felony count each of common law misconduct in office, lying to a peace officer violent crime investigation and false report of a felony.
The charges stem from a lengthy Michigan State Police investigation that resulted after a complaint was made by Bartlett's wife, Kellie Bartlett, against an Eaton County Sheriff's Office deputy she accused of sexually assaulting her in 2018, officials said.
Shane Bartlett was interviewed by a detective investigating the accusations. Suspicions arose from his statements early in the case, police said.
The case was turned over to Barry County Prosecutor Julie Nakfoor Pratt in September 2018 and Kellie Bartlett was charged with filing a false report of a felony and several other charges. Her case is pending in Eaton County circuit court, officials said.
Shane Bartlett is currently free on a $10,000 personal recognizance bond. He is on paid administrative leave.
Misconduct in office is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and or a fine of $10,000.
City appoints interim police chief
FOX 47 News
May 02, 2019
Investigators say couple falsely reported sexual assault by a deputy
Jackson Citizen Patriot (MI)
May 9, 2019
https://infoweb.newsbank.com/
A police chief is facing three felonies for allegedly aiding his wife in filing a false police report accusing a sheriff’s deputy of sexually assaulting her.
The Barry County Prosecutor’s Office has issued charges against Potterville Police Chief Shane Bartlett, of Charlotte, accusing him of lying to investigators and misconduct in office.
The Michigan Attorney General’s Office appointed the Barry County Prosecutor’s Office to handle the case after Eaton County Prosecutor Doug Lloyd recused his office to avoid a conflict of interest.
Officer charged with misconduct, lying to police, false report for a felony
Bartlett was arraigned May 1 in Charlotte District Court in Eaton County on one felony count each of common law misconduct in office, lying to a peace officer violent crime investigation and false report of a felony.
The charges stem from a lengthy Michigan State Police investigation that resulted after a complaint was made by Bartlett’s wife, Kellie Bartlett, against an Eaton County Sheriff’s Office deputy she accused of sexually assaulting her in 2018, officials said.
Shane Bartlett was interviewed by a detective investigating the accusations. Suspicions arose from his statements early in the case, police said.
Wife charged with filing a false report
The case was turned over to Barry County Prosecutor Julie Nakfoor Pratt in September, and Kellie Bartlett was charged with filing a false report of a felony and several other charges. Her case is pending in Eaton County circuit court, officials said.
Shane Bartlett is free on a $10,000 personal recognizance bond. He is on paid administrative leave.
Misconduct in office is a felony punishable by as many as five years in prison and/or a fine of $10,000.
Potterville council meets behind closed doors to discuss police chief's future
WILX News
May 16, 2019
It is a small town in turmoil.
Critical issues need to be resolved involving Potterville's former city manager, the fire chief, and police chief.
But only one of those controversial topics was discussed Thursday night by the Potterville City Council, and that was behind closed doors.
Among many items on tonight's council agenda, what's next for former Police Chief Shane Bartlett?
Michele Barks, a Potterville resident, said, "I hope it's positive for him. I'd like to see him continue his career here."
The city council met behind closed doors to discuss the future for the city's police department.
Bartlett was put on administrative leave earlier this month after being charged with allegedly helping his wife file a false police report, saying she was sexually assaulted by an Eaton County Sheriff's deputy.
Those charges come from an investigation by the Michigan State Police.
"I think the state police are doing the proper procedures, that's what it's all about right now," Barks, one of a few to voice their support for Bartlett Thursday night. "I'm over here in 2010, we've had three police chiefs since I've been here and I think he's by far been the best. We need to keep him. I think he's done a real good job with the public and I'd like to see him stay."
Another big issue in Potterville, when will the fire department be back up and running?
The city council plans to meet next Tuesday to discuss that matter.
Former Chief Back In Court
Fox 47 News
June 17, 2019
Former Potterville Chief due back in court
WILX News
Jun. 17, 2019
Former Potterville police chief Shane Bartlett is heading back to court Monday.
In May, Bartlett was charged with misconduct in office, making a false report of a felony and lying to investigators.
This all following a sexual assault complaint his wife filed against an Eaton County deputy in 2018.
Prosecutors say Bartlett allegedly aided and abetted his wife in making a false police report.
Kelly Bartlett faces additional charges
Maple Valley News (Hastings, MI)
August 17, 2019
https://infoweb.newsbank.com/
Former Eaton County Sheriff’s Office Clerk Kelly Leigh Bartlett is facing two more felony charges, in addition to the nine felonies and five misdemeanor charges leveled against her in the fall of 2018.
Bartlett was recently charged by Barry County Prosecutor Julie Nakfoor Pratt with aggravated stalking, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and using a computer to commit a crime, which carries a maximum of seven years in prison. If Bartlett is convicted of those two additional charges, her sentences could be consecutive.
She is alleged to have violated a court order by having third-party contact with a victim in a pending case.
While she was working as a clerk at the Eaton County Sheriff’s Office, Bartlett and a deputy began a relationship in late 2015, the Barry County Prosecutor’s Office said.
The deputy ended the relationship in spring 2017, and requested that Bartlett cease to have any contact with him.
When Bartlett continued contact, the deputy told his superiors and a team was assigned to investigate Bartlett for stalking.
Bartlett ceased working for the department in December 2017 and, in January 2018, contacted the Michigan State Police to file a complaint against the deputy for sexually assaulting her in March 2017.
Following an investigation, the stalking and sexual assault cases were turned over to the Eaton County Prosecutor, who recused that office from any action on the case, which was turned over to the Barry County Prosecutor’s Office in spring 2018.
Bartlett was charged with multiple felony counts in September 2018, including two counts of using a computer to commit a crime, two counts of identity theft, three counts of unauthorized access to a computer, conspiracy and one count of false reporting of a felony.
Misdemeanors include two counts of stalking, one count of intentional dissemination of sexually explicit visual material and two counts of using a computer to commit a crime.
The case is still pending in circuit court, and no date has been set for a pretrial.
During the investigation, Bartlett’s husband, Shane Bartlett, was charged with three felony counts alleging misconduct in office, lying to an officer and falsifying a police report in May 2019. Shane Bartlett was the police chief for the City of Potterville at the time.
Records: Prosecutor threatened to charge Charlotte woman's husband if she didn't plead guilty
Lansing State Journal
August 21, 2019
Editor's note: This story has been updated with comments from Kellie Bartlett's former attorney disputing allegations made by her current attorney. It has also been corrected to reflect Lisa Underhill's relationship to the deputy.
LANSING — A Charlotte woman accused of lying to police about being raped said the prosecutor assigned to her case threatened to bring criminal charges against her husband if she did not plead guilty, according to a motion filed to disqualify the prosecutor.
Kellie Bartlett's previous attorney, Lucas Dillon, disputes that account.
Bartlett, of Charlotte, is facing 16 charges related to her clerk job at the Eaton County Sheriff's Office and her report to Michigan State Police that a sheriff's deputy raped her.
Bartlett was charged in September by Barry County Prosecutor Julie Nakfoor Pratt, who the Attorney General's office appointed as a special prosecutor because Eaton County Prosecutor Doug Lloyd recused his office.
Bartlett's attorney, Neil Rockind, asked to disqualify Nakfoor Pratt because she:
- Made herself into a necessary witness by conducting independent investigations into Bartlett as well as destroying evidence.
- Created an appearance of "impropriety and exceeded the scope of her authority on multiple occasions," one of which occurred when she filed out-of-county charges without the Attorney General appointing her as special prosecutor on the case.
- Intervened in a family court matter.
- Threatened to charge Bartlett's husband, Shane Bartlett, if she did not accept a plea deal, and followed through with her threat.
- Withheld discovery from a previous defense attorney.
- Took an "extremely personal interest" in Kellie Bartlett's prosecution.
- Did not function as would be expected of a neutral prosecutor.
- Nakfoor Pratt denies any wrongdoing in Bartlett's case.
"All I’ve done in this case, the only thing I’ve done in the last year, is my job," Nakfoor Pratt said. "I stand by my charges."
She would not go into detail about the allegations, saying she'd rather wait and file her response to the motion in writing.
Police determined Bartlett's rape report was a lie partially because of texts exchanged with her husband the morning after she said she was raped.
The texts were "sexual in nature and mock(ed) the sexual encounter she had with (the deputy)," Michigan State Police Detective Erik Darling said at a hearing that led to criminal charges for Shane Bartlett.
"Had (Kellie) Bartlett been a victim of (sexual assault), these messages could be considered so grossly inappropriate as to shock the conscience," Darling said.
Bartlett was charged with:
- Five counts of using a computer to commit a crime
- Two counts of identity theft
- Three counts of unauthorized access to a computer
- Conspiracy to commit identity theft
- False report of a felony
- Two counts of stalking
- Intentional dissemination of sexually explicit visual material
- Aggravated stalking
Threats against her husband
Shane Bartlett, who at the time was the chief of police in Potterville, was charged with misconduct in office, lying to a police officer and false report of a felony. His charges are connected to his wife's charge of filing a false rape report.
Rockind said Nakfoor Pratt approached Kellie Bartlett's former attorney, Dillon, and told him Shane Bartlett was being investigated. She offered Kellie Bartlett a plea deal, and said if she accepted it, "the investigation and potential charges against her husband, Shane, would cease."
Dillon, however, said Nakfoor Pratt never came close to making any threats against Shane Bartlett. Shane Bartlett was not discussed in plea negotiations, Dillon said.
"Shane was being charged regardless," Dillon said. "To say that anything in Shane's case hinged on Kellie's charges...I will testify that that's a complete lie."
Rockind said in the motion that Nakfoor Pratt attempted to "leverage (Kellie's) husband's spotless criminal record and freedom and career...in order to convince her to plead guilty to a number of felonies."
Shane Bartlett was fired from his job as police chief after he was charged.
'Animosity' toward Bartlett
Even at hearings that have nothing to do with Kellie Bartlett, Nakfoor Pratt introduced Kellie Bartlett's alleged wrongdoings into the narrative, Rockind wrote.
At co-defendant Lisa Underhill's sentencing for attempted unlawful posting of a message on a computer, Nakfoor Pratt spent time detailing the things she believed Kellie Bartlett had done wrong, Rockind wrote. At Shane Bartlett's arraignment, she "went on a long tangent" about Kellie Bartlett as they tried to determine his bail.
When Shane Bartlett's attorney, Matt Newberg, requested the deputy's personnel file, Nakfoor Pratt "spent considerable time focusing her arguments on Kellie Bartlett — who had nothing to do with Mr. Bartlett's request for said documents," Rockind wrote.
"There's a clear pattern here," Rockind wrote. "At all turns, the Barry County Prosecutor always comes back around to focusing all of her energy and wrath on Ms. Bartlett."
Dillon said this, again, is untrue. He did not notice any animosity toward Kellie Bartlett, and said there was no indication that Nakfoor Pratt cared more about this case than others.
Appearance at a custody hearing
Nakfoor Pratt also passed notes to the deputy Bartlett accused of raping her and his attorney at a Friend of the Court hearing for a custody case between the deputy and Underhill, according to the motion and transcripts from the hearing. Those notes were subsequently destroyed.
Underhill is the deputy's ex-girlfriend. The State Journal is not naming the deputy because he has not been charged with a crime.
The FOC hearing involves all the same parties and significantly overlaps with Bartlett's criminal case, Rockind wrote in the motion.
In addition, at the custody hearing — which Rockind said Nakfoot Pratt had no reason to attend in the first place — the prosecutor interrupted the hearing and asked for a recess to tell the judge that Underhill was lying.
"This is not normal or routine," Rockind wrote. "In fact, this is unprecedented...The Barry County Prosecutor is clearly way more emotionally connected to this case than she will admit and her improper and unethical conduct...demonstrates exactly that."
Judge rules prosecutor not biased against woman accused of lying about deputy raping her
Lansing State Journal
September 24, 2019
LANSING — A judge has ruled that a prosecutor who charged a Charlotte woman with filing a false report of rape and more than a dozen other charges is not biased in the case.
In late August, Kellie Bartlett's attorney filed a motion asked Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Clinton Canady III to disqualify Barry County's prosecutor for bias reasons.
Bartlett is facing 16 criminal charges related to her former job as a clerk at the Eaton County Sheriff's Office and her report to Michigan State Police that a county sheriff's deputy raped her.
In the motion, attorney Neil Rockind claimed that Barry County Prosecutor Julie Nakfoor Pratt made herself into a necessary witness in the case, exceeded the scope of her authority, withheld discovery and took an "extremely personal interest" in Bartlett's prosecution.
Rockind said Nakfoor Pratt threatened to charge Bartlett's husband if she did not plead guilty, something Canady said happens "all the time."
Canady denied the motion after dismissing the merit of each claim. There was no basis for disqualification, he said.
"From day one, you've wanted the prosecutor off the case," Canady said to Rockind. "The prosecutor feels the defendant is guilty of a crime, that's her job."
Canady added that it would be a hardship to appoint another prosecutor because of the complexity of the case. Nakfoor Pratt is the prosecutor on the case because Eaton County Prosecutor Doug Lloyd recused his office.
During the hearing, which at times exuded hostility between the two attorneys, Nakfoor Pratt said Rockind had accused her of bias without any evidence.
Police determined Bartlett's rape report was a lie partially because of texts exchanged with her husband the morning after she said she was raped.
The texts were "sexual in nature and mock(ed) the sexual encounter she had with (the deputy)," Michigan State Police Detective Erik Darling said at a hearing that led to criminal charges for her husband, Shane Bartlett. Shane Bartlett, formerly the chief of police in Potterville, is charged with misconduct in office, lying to a police officer and false report of a felony
"Had (Kellie) Bartlett been a victim of (sexual assault), these messages could be considered so grossly inappropriate as to shock the conscience," Darling said.
Kellie Bartlett is charged with:
- Five counts of using a computer to commit a crime
- Two counts of identity theft
- Three counts of unauthorized access to a computer
- Conspiracy to commit identity theft
- False report of a felony
- Two counts of stalking
- Intentional dissemination of sexually explicit visual material
- Aggravated stalking
Charlotte woman pleads guilty to lying about being raped by sheriff's deputy
Lansing State Journal
December 11, 2019
LANSING — A Charlotte woman pleaded guilty Wednesday to lying to police about being raped by a sheriff's deputy in 2017.
Kellie Bartlett initially faced 16 charges related to her clerk job at the Eaton County Sheriff's Office and her report to Michigan State Police that a sheriff's deputy raped her.
Most of those charges were dismissed in exchange for Bartlett's guilty plea to false report of a felony, unauthorized access to a computer, identity theft, stalking and lying to a police officer.
As a part of the plea deal, Bartlett's sentencing is delayed for 11 months. If she is successful during that time, Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Clinton Canady III will dismiss the felony unauthorized access to a computer and identity theft charges.
Any jail sentence she receives will be served with curfew tether in lieu of incarceration.
Bartlett told Michigan State Police in January that the deputy had sexually assaulted her in March 2017. A further investigation determined Bartlett was a "willing and consenting partner in this act," Michigan State Police Detective Sgt. Erik Darling testified in a hearing that led to criminal charges.
They made that determination, in part, because of texts she exchanged with her husband the morning after she said she was raped.
The texts were "sexual in nature and mock(ed) the sexual encounter she had with (the deputy)," Darling said at a hearing that led to criminal charges for Shane Bartlett, Kellie's husband.
"Had (Kellie) Bartlett been a victim of (sexual assault), these messages could be considered so grossly inappropriate as to shock the conscience," Darling said.
Bartlett worked at the sheriff's office from 2008 through December 2017, when she was fired. She was in a relationship with the deputy from late 2015 through spring 2017. The State Journal is not naming the deputy because he has not been charged with a crime.
After they broke up, she began stalking the deputy, Darling testified. She repeatedly tried to contact him and his then-girlfriend, who is now his wife, despite repeated requests to stop.
The identity theft charge is for faking a note from a physician in order to receive compensation for time off from the Eaton County Sheriff's Office.
Bartlett was charged in September by Barry County Prosecutor Julie Nakfoor Pratt, who the Attorney General's office appointed as a special prosecutor because Eaton County Prosecutor Doug Lloyd recused his office.
Bartlett was initially charged with:
- Five counts of using a computer to commit a crime
- Two counts of identity theft
- Three counts of unauthorized access to a computer
- Conspiracy to commit identity theft
- False report of a felony
- Two counts of stalking
- Intentional dissemination of sexually explicit visual material
- Aggravated stalking
Shane Bartlett, who at the time was the chief of police in Potterville, was charged with misconduct in office, lying to a police officer and false report of a felony. His charges are connected to his wife's charge of filing a false rape report.
He is set for a preliminary hearing Jan. 2 to determine if there is enough evidence for him to stand trial. Nakfoor Pratt is also prosecuting that case.
Kellie Bartlett will have a sentencing hearing Jan. 30.
Kellie Bartlett pleads guilty to multiple felonies
Hastings Banner, The (MI)
December 12, 2019
https://infoweb.newsbank.com/
Former Eaton County Sheriff’s Clerk Kellie Bartlett pleaded guilty to three felonies and two misdemeanors, including identity theft, stalking and lying to police, Barry County Prosecutor Julie Nakfoor Pratt said
“The most significant aspect of today’s plea hearing was Bartlett’s admission in court that she filed a false report of criminal sexual conduct against the victim, an Eaton County Sheriff’s Deputy who she had been dating,” Nakfoor Pratt said in a statement Wednesday.
Nakfoor Pratt’s office was assigned to the case by the state Attorney General after the Eaton County Prosecutor Douglas Lloyd recused his office due to a conflict.
Bartlett filed a complaint with the Michigan State Police in January 2018, alleging that the deputy had sexually assaulted her in March 2017.
But she was charged after phone records and other evidence disclosed that she made up the sexual assault allegation against the deputy in retaliation for his ending the relationship, Nakfoor Pratt said.
Bartlett pleaded guilty to accessing a computer without authority at the Eaton County Sheriff’s Department, where she had worked until December 2017. She also admitted to forging the signature of an employee at the office of a Lansing area cardiologist, and to stalking the woman who has since become the deputy’s wife, the prosecutor said.
In exchange for her guilty plea, the prosecution will dismiss other charges that had been leveled against her.
Bartlett’s husband, Shane Bartlett, who was the Potterville police chief, was arraigned in May on three felony charges; misconduct in office, lying to a police officer and falsifying a police report.
Nakfoor Pratt said Shane Bartlett aided and abetted his wife in falsifying the report.
He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Jan. 2, 2020 in Charlotte District Court. A hearing on Kellie Bartlett’s sentencing is set for 8:30 a.m. Jan. 30, in Eaton County Circuit Court.
Sentencing delayed for Charlotte woman who pleaded guilty to lying about deputy raping her
Lansing State Journal
January 30, 2020
CHARLOTTE — Sentencing has been delayed for a Charlotte woman who pleaded guilty to lying about being raped by an Eaton County Sheriff's Office deputy.
As long as Kellie Bartlett stays out of trouble until her official sentencing hearing in December, Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Clinton Canady III will dismiss two of her felony charges.
Bartlett initially faced 16 charges, some of which were related to her clerk job at the Eaton County Sheriff's Office. All but five were dismissed, and Bartlett pleaded guilty to false report of a felony, unauthorized access to a computer, identity theft, stalking and lying to a police officer.
The sentence Canady gives her in December will be served with a curfew tether in lieu of incarceration.
Bartlett was charged in September by Barry County Prosecutor Julie Nakfoor Pratt, who the Attorney General's office appointed as a special prosecutor because Eaton County Prosecutor Doug Lloyd recused his office.
Nakfoor Pratt said Bartlett continues to not take responsibility for her actions and blame others. Her treatment needs to involve owning up to what she did, Nakfoor Pratt said.
"The bottom line is, (the deputy) did not deserve what happened to him," Nakfoor Pratt said. "(Bartlett's actions) are absolutely unacceptable by society and are unacceptable by criminal standards."
But Bartlett's attorney, Neil Rockind, said she has already done that. She stood in front of Canady in December and pleaded guilty to three felonies and two misdemeanors, admitting "deeply personal matters" in the open courtroom, he said.
"This is a very difficult case in which there are no winners," Rockind said. "The fact of the matter is she's owned it and has taken personal responsibility."
Attorney Grievance Commission complaint
Bartlett filed a complaint against Nakfoor Pratt with the Attorney Grievance Commission, which investigates wrongdoing by attorneys. Part of the complaint spoke of a motion Nakfoor Pratt filed that included full-page nude photos of Bartlett and the deputy.
The motion, along with any other court filings that a judge has not ordered to be sealed, was accessible to the public. Canady sealed the contents of the motion shortly after it was filed.
Nakfoor Pratt acknowledged in court that she was "dealing with" the complaint, and Bartlett confirmed the AGC told her they opened an investigation into Nakfoor Pratt's actions. The AGC does not confirm open investigations.
This is not the first time Nakfoor Pratt's conduct has been brought up in court. Rockind filed a motion to disqualify her from the case, citing a bias toward Bartlett, a failure to disclose pertinent evidence and involvement in the deputy's child custody case.
Case background
Bartlett told a Michigan State Police detective in January 2018 the Eaton County deputy had sexually assaulted her in March 2017. Further investigation determined Bartlett was a "willing and consenting partner in this act," Michigan State Police Detective Sgt. Erik Darling testified in a hearing that led to criminal charges.
They made that determination, in part, because of texts she exchanged with her husband the morning after she said she was raped.
The texts were "sexual in nature and mock(ed) the sexual encounter she had with (the deputy)," Darling said at a hearing that led to criminal charges for Shane Bartlett, Kellie's husband. Shane Bartlett is the former police chief of Potterville.
"Had (Kellie) Bartlett been a victim of (sexual assault), these messages could be considered so grossly inappropriate as to shock the conscience," Darling said.
Kellie Bartlett worked at the sheriff's office from 2008 through December 2017, when she was fired. She was in a relationship with the deputy from late 2015 through spring 2017.
After they broke up, she began stalking the deputy, Darling testified. She repeatedly tried to contact him and his then-girlfriend, who is now his wife, despite repeated requests to stop.
The identity theft charge is for faking a note from a physician in order to receive compensation for time off from the Eaton County Sheriff's Office
Bartlett initially was charged with:
- Five counts of using a computer to commit a crime
- Two counts of identity theft
- Three counts of unauthorized access to a computer
- Conspiracy to commit identity theft
- False report of a felony
- Two counts of stalking
- Intentional dissemination of sexually explicit visual material
- Aggravated stalking
Shane Bartlett was charged with misconduct in office, lying to a police officer and false report of a felony. His charges are connected to his wife's charge of filing a false rape report.
A preliminary hearing to determine if there is enough evidence for him to stand trial is set for March. Nakfoor Pratt is also prosecuting that case.
Kellie Bartlett - Former Eaton County SD Clerk
Criminal Sentence
Michigan Department Of Corrections
December 02, 2020
