On June 27, 2025, Battle Creek resident Mark Foley filed a Complaint for Writ of Mandamus against the Michigan State Police LEIN Field Services Unit in the Michigan Court of Claims. The complaint alleges that MSP failed to investigate documented evidence of criminal misconduct involving the Law Enforcement Information Network — including alleged unauthorized database access, stalking and intimidation under color of law, a death threat the complaint states is substantiated in sworn records submitted to the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission, and the involvement of an unverified individual identified in the complaint only as “Michael DeLoach.” Process was served June 30, 2025. All claims are allegations; the lawsuit has not been adjudicated.
The Case: Foley v. Michigan State Police
Battle Creek resident Mark Foley filed a Complaint for Writ of Mandamus in the Michigan Court of Claims on June 27, 2025, naming the Michigan State Police LEIN Field Services Unit as defendant. The complaint alleges that MSP failed — and has continued to fail over a period of approximately five years — to investigate documented evidence of criminal misconduct involving the Law Enforcement Information Network, Michigan’s law enforcement database system, despite a statutory duty to do so under applicable Michigan and federal law.
What the Complaint Alleges
The complaint alleges that two authorized LEIN users accessed the Law Enforcement Information Network for unauthorized purposes — specifically, to target Foley. LEIN access is governed by MCL 28.214 and the CJIS/LEIN enforcement framework, which require auditing of database access and mandates investigation and discipline for misuse. The complaint alleges MSP failed to conduct that mandatory investigation despite being presented with evidence of the alleged misuse.
The complaint alleges that stalking and intimidation of the plaintiff were carried out under color of law — meaning through the use of law enforcement status, access, or authority — rather than as the conduct of private individuals. Carrying out such conduct under color of law implicates federal civil rights statutes in addition to Michigan criminal law governing stalking and witness intimidation.
The complaint states that a known death threat against Foley is substantiated in sworn records submitted to the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission. The involvement of the JTC — the body that oversees judicial misconduct complaints — in what began as a law enforcement misconduct matter raises questions about the scope of the relationships the complaint alleges were used to insulate the alleged misconduct from investigation.
The complaint references a figure identified only as “Michael DeLoach” — an individual whose role, department, and law enforcement status have not been verified through publicly available records. The complaint alleges that no law enforcement agency has compelled the identification of this individual or explained his alleged role in the conduct targeting Foley. The complaint further alleges that confidential LEIN data was used to target Foley during a period when he states he was fleeing domestic abuse, and that no agency has provided an explanation for how that access occurred.
The Legal Grounds Cited
The complaint identifies four categories of legal violation: statutory violations under MCL 28.214, MCL 257.208c, and the CJIS/LEIN enforcement framework, which mandate auditing and discipline for database misuse; deliberate indifference by MSP in refusing to act on evidence of stalking, threats, and officer misconduct including an allegedly falsified consent in a police report; constitutional violations including denial of due process and equal protection under the 14th Amendment, with the plaintiff allegedly denied meaningful legal access for more than a year; and obstruction of remedies through alleged internal interference by MSP staff, who Foley states redirected the investigation away from the original misconduct and failed to facilitate access to the Michigan Court of Claims.
Foley further stated that when law enforcement connections lead to special treatment and falsified reports, investigation is not merely appropriate — it is a clear duty. He characterized the situation as one in which documented crime requires documented accountability. MSP has not issued a public response to the complaint.
The LEIN database is one of the most sensitive information systems in Michigan law enforcement. It contains personal information — addresses, vehicle registrations, criminal history, family relationships — that can be used to locate, track, and target private individuals. Its access is limited to authorized personnel precisely because of that sensitivity. When authorized access is allegedly used to target a person rather than to serve law enforcement purposes, the harm is compounded by the power differential: the person being targeted typically has no way to know their information is being accessed, no way to prevent it, and limited recourse when the accessing institution declines to investigate its own personnel. The Foley complaint is, among other things, a case study in what happens when the mandatory accountability mechanisms for LEIN misuse — the auditing and investigation requirements under MCL 28.214 — allegedly fail to function.
Documentation related to the complaint is available upon request through the plaintiff’s publicly disclosed contact information, as noted in the original Clutch Justice publication. The filing, supporting affidavits, and exhibit documentation were made available to Clutch Justice in connection with this coverage. Clutch Justice will report on developments in the case as they occur.
Sources and Documentation
Rita Williams, Battle Creek Man Sues Michigan State Police for Alleged LEIN Misuse, Clutch Justice (July 1, 2025), https://clutchjustice.com/2025/07/01/battle-creek-man-sues-michigan-state-police-for-alleged-lein-misuse/.
Williams, R. (2025, July 1). Battle Creek man sues Michigan State Police for alleged LEIN misuse. Clutch Justice. https://clutchjustice.com/2025/07/01/battle-creek-man-sues-michigan-state-police-for-alleged-lein-misuse/
Williams, Rita. “Battle Creek Man Sues Michigan State Police for Alleged LEIN Misuse.” Clutch Justice, 1 July 2025, clutchjustice.com/2025/07/01/battle-creek-man-sues-michigan-state-police-for-alleged-lein-misuse/.
Williams, Rita. “Battle Creek Man Sues Michigan State Police for Alleged LEIN Misuse.” Clutch Justice, July 1, 2025. https://clutchjustice.com/2025/07/01/battle-creek-man-sues-michigan-state-police-for-alleged-lein-misuse/.
