Father of accused Michigan State University Player charged

The father of the MSU football player accused in the $158,000 laptop theft ring is facing similar charges in Ann Arbor.Dion Sims’ father, Donald Lewis Sims Jr., the former business administrator at the University of Michigan’s Center for Afro American and African Studies, is facing four felony embezzlement charges. He’s accused of using U-M money to purchase $74,000 worth of computers and computer-related equipment, and for making $14,000 in other fraudulent purchases.Diane Brown, spokeswoman for the University of Michigan police, said this afternoon that the father was arrested and arraigned in June and faces an upcoming court date on the charges. She said he purchased at least 75 computers and 14 computer-related items – items for which the university was not reimbursed. The purchases happened between 2008 and 2010.“He was essentially in a position to be able to purchase laptops or computers and they were used for his own personal purposes,” Brown said.She wouldn’t comment on whether Sims sold the computers, saying such details are part of the investigation. But she said additional charges against others could be coming.“We don’t have any reason to believe anyone else at the university was involved,” she said.Brown said the university learned of the embezzlements from a “third party” from outside the university. She declined to say who.Brown said U-M police have collaborated with Detroit Public Schools, but said it’s unclear at this point whether the cases are related.Brown said Sims had worked at U-M since 1990 and earned $66,868 as the business administrator. He left his job in March, but U-M officials aren’t saying whether he was fired.