DETROIT - A former Wayne County Airport Authority official is accused of accepting contractor kickbacks totalling more than $5 million over four years, an amount that prosecutors call one of the largest bribes ever seen in Detroit federal court.

James Warner, 51, of Commerce Township, was indicted by a grand jury Wednesday, May 23 on charges of conspiracy, federal program bribery, federal program theft, money laundering and obstruction of justice in connection with maintenance and repair contracts for runways and parking structures, according to federal court records.

He pleaded not guilty in front of Magistrate Judge R. Steven Whalen and was released on $10,000 bond, according to court records.

While employed as a field inspector at Detroit Metro Airport from May of 2010 to August of 2014, Warner, according to federal investigators, engaged in multiple schemes to defraud the airport.

In one scheme, he is accused of drafting and submitting fraudulently-inflated invoices for work, which co-defendant William Pritula, 69, of Romulus, was contracted to complete at the airport.

Pritula is also charged with bribery.

After receiving payment from the airport authority, Pritula would give about half of the profits to Warner, according to federal prosecutors.

Pritula gave Warner over $5 million over the four-year period, according to the U.S. attorney's office.

In another scheme, Warner, prosecutors say, demanded money from another co-defendant, Gary Tenaglia, 65, of Oakland Township.

Tenaglia held maintenance and repair contracts for Detroit Metro Airport's parking structures.

Warner inspected and supervised Tenaglia's work and is accused of concealing any mistakes from the airport authority. In exchange, Warner demanded approximately 10 percent of each invoice from Tenaglia, according to prosecutors.

Tenaglia's cash payments to Warner totaled over $100,000, investigators believe.

Tenaglia was charged in April with attempt and conspiracy to commit fraud.

Law enforcement has thus far seized $11.4 million in criminal proceeds related to the schemes, including $7.5 million from Pritula and $3.9 million from Warner, according to the U.S. attorney's office.

Warner left the WCAA in August of 2014. In January of 2017, he began working for the Water and Sewer Department in West Bloomfield Township. Federal prosecutors say that within months, Warner proposed to Tenaglia a continuation of the same scheme the two had at the airport.

In addition to the other charges, the grand jury also charged Warner with obstructing justice by altering a document he provided to the FBI during their investigation of the incident.

Each theft and bribery charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Each of the money laundering conspiracy counts carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

The bribery and theft conspiracy counts carry a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The obstruction of justice count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.