Detroit, MI
Detroit nonprofit director charged in scheme that stole houses from dozens of residents
(CBS DETROIT) – A Detroit woman who was the director of a local non-profit has been charged for her role in a scheme that stole houses from several residents, police said.
Zina Thomas, 60, was arrested Wednesday and is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, money laundering and aggravated identity theft.
Federal officials say that more than 30 houses in Wayne County, mostly Detroit, were impacted by the scheme that targeted low-income residents at risk of facing tax foreclosure.
Prosecutors allege Thomas, who was the director of homeownership programs at the United Community Housing Coalition, allegedly filed multiple fraudulent quitclaim deeds and transferred them to “interim owners” who did not exist. Thomas notarized the deeds and emailed fake driver’s licenses and other documents to the Wayne County Treasurer’s Office before selling the properties to third parties.
As a result, officials say she received payment for some of the home and deposited it into her bank account named after her reality company. Proceeds from that account were deposited into her personal bank account.
“This scheme targeted some of our most financially vulnerable citizens and was perpetrated by an individual whose job it was to help those very people avoid losing their homes to foreclosure. This arrest is the result of a multi-agency, cooperative investigation involving both federal and state law enforcement and is reflective of our ongoing efforts to identify and disrupt fraud schemes like this as quickly as possible,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison.
Thanks for reading CBS NEWS.
Create your free account or log in
for more features.
The Detroit Zoo welcomed a new giraffe, Nguvu, to the herd, officials announced on Wednesday.
Officials say 1-year-old Nguvu came from Utah’s Hogle Zoo as part of the zoo’s “long-term plan for the giraffe herd.”
“This move was recommended by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Giraffe Species Survival Plan, which promotes the health, genetic diversity and overall sustainability of giraffe populations in zoos – and we’re eager to support Nguvu as he adjusts to his new home,” the Detroit Zoo says.
Officials say Nguvu has been working with the animal care teams for several days and will be introduced to the herd soon.
According to Utah’s Hogle Zoo, Nguvu was born in February 2025. His name means “strength” in Swahili.
The Detroit Lions are taking part in the NFL’s International series for the first time since 2015 by hosting the AFC Champion New England Patriots Week 10 in Munich at Allianz Arena on Sunday, Nov. 15 at 9:30 a.m. ET (3:30 p.m. local time in Germany) on FOX.
The Patriots represented the AFC in the Super Bowl this past February after a 14-3 season and their 22nd AFC East title. They beat the Los Angeles Chargers (16-3), Houston Texans (28-16) and Denver Broncos (10-7) in the playoffs to earn their 12th Super Bowl appearance, which they lost to Seattle (29-13).
Patriots QB Drake Maye is one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL entering his third season and New England’s defense is coming off a 2025 season in which they ranked fourth in points allowed (18.8) and eighth in total defense (295.2).
This is the second of Detroit’s 2026 matchups to be announced early (Week 2 TNF in Buffalo). The rest of the Lions schedule will be revealed Thursday evening.
4Warn Weather – Metro Detroit is getting a bit of everything this week: from freezing temperatures to summerlike heat.
Mixed in are rain chances.
Tuesday night will feature scattered showers and a chance of a few thunderstorms as a cold front moves through Southeast Michigan.
The strongest storms Tuesday night are not expected to be severe, but a few downpours and gusty winds will be possible before the rain tapers off overnight.
Overnight temperatures will settle into the 40s and 50s in most locations.
Cooler air will arrive first across the Thumb and northern communities, with lows dipping into the mid- to upper 40s near Lapeer, Port Huron, and Sandusky.
Detroit and Downriver communities will be in the lower 50s.
Wednesday
Wednesday will feel noticeably cooler and breezy behind the front. High temperatures may struggle to climb much beyond the mid-50s in Metro Detroit, while communities farther north could remain even cooler at times under mostly cloudy skies.
A stray shower cannot be ruled out during the day, but much of Wednesday looks dry.
That cooler air will greet fans heading downtown Wednesday evening for Game 5 between the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers at Little Caesars Arena.
Temperatures around tipoff at 8 p.m. will hover near 50 degrees with cloudy skies. By the time fans leave the arena later Wednesday night, readings may slip into the upper 40s.
Anyone heading downtown may want a jacket, especially with a lingering breeze making it feel a little cooler outside.
After the chilly midweek stretch, temperatures will rebound quickly heading into the weekend.
Looking ahead
Friday evening looks comfortable for the Detroit Tigers’ series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays at Comerica Park.
First-pitch temperatures around 6:45 p.m. should be near 60 degrees under partly cloudy skies.
Saturday may end up being one of the nicest days Metro Detroit has seen in a while. Temperatures are expected to surge into the lower 80s.
Plenty of sunshine and warm conditions should make for ideal baseball weather and a busy day across parks, patios, marinas, and outdoor events across southeast Michigan.
Sunday remains warm, with highs in the upper 70s and approaching 80 degrees, though the atmosphere may become more unsettled later in the day.
Flower Day at Eastern Market in Detroit should still feature decent weather for shoppers and visitors during the morning and early afternoon, but a few showers and isolated thunderstorms could develop later Sunday as moisture increases again across the Great Lakes.
That means people heading to Eastern Market may want to keep an umbrella nearby, especially if spending several hours outdoors later in the day.
Even with the chance of rain, temperatures will remain warm and pleasant for browsing flowers, plants, and outdoor vendors.
The warming trend continues into early next week, with highs climbing into the 80s again on Monday with additional rain chances.
Share your weather photos with Local 4 at MIPics.
Copyright 2026 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.
-
Nebraska1 minute agoNebraska QB has high expectations heading into 2026 season
-
Nevada7 minutes agoArbor View beats rival Centennial for 5A boys volleyball state title
-
New Hampshire13 minutes agoEmily (Em) Madeline Peters
-
New Jersey19 minutes agoOlder NJ residents consider leaving as costs rise, survey shows
-
New Mexico25 minutes agoNew Mexico elementary school partners with NASA and earns elite STEM certification
-
North Carolina31 minutes agoPolice: North Carolina man charged after high-speed chase in Erie County, arrested in the Town of Perry
-
North Dakota37 minutes agoND Emergency Services receives wildfire prevention award
-
Ohio43 minutes agoA unique project asks Ohioans to map Revolutionary War graves