Former Detroit officer sentenced to more than 6 years in prison for extortion Deonne Dotson, 49, convicted after 8-day jury trial July 13, 2021 9:01 pm Dotson, 49, was convicted after an 8-day jury trial before United States District Judge Robert H. Cleland. The trial was conducted in November 2019, but Dotson’s sentencing was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the evidence presented at trial, Dotson accepted bribes from owners and operators of auto collision shops in exchange for referring stolen and abandoned vehicles recovered in the City of Detroit to their shops. The evidence also showed that Dotson created false police reports in exchange for money from the owners and operators of the same collision shops.