FLINT, MI - A Flint city councilman pawned his city-issued laptop for a $100 loan nine times over the course of two years, police say.

Flint police swore out a single misdemeanor warrant against First Ward Councilman Eric Mays over the allegations Wednesday, Aug. 23, before Genesee County District Judge William H. Crawford II.

In court, police said the city councilman began pawning his laptop to Music Man Pawnshop - located across the street from Flint City Hall - on Jan. 15, 2015.

Occasionally, he would pick up the computer from the shop only to pawn it back to Music Man the next day, police said.

After Mays failed to reclaim the laptop from the shop on May 3 - the last day of his loan - the computer was technically owned by the shop, police said.

However, Music Man's owner told officers that he allowed customers a grace period to renew their loans or reclaim their property with interest, and Mays bought the laptop back for $116 on May 23, police said in court.

The charges come three months after an investigation was launched into whether crimes were committed when Mays allegedly pawned the city-issued computer.

Since July, the criminal investigation into Councilman Eric Mays has bounced between Leyton's office and the Flint Police Department as the prosecutor said he needed additional information from police in the case.

Councilman files complaint with Flint police over pawned city-owned laptop "My concern is the misuse of taxpayer-funded equipment," Kincaid said. "Councilman Mays violated a state statute by pawning something that didn't belong to him."

Police began investigating the case in late May after Ninth Ward Councilman Scott Kincaid filed a criminal complaint with the department after learning Music Man Pawnshop -- located within one block of Flint City Hall -- had taken in the laptop issued to Mays.

Mays previously called Kincaid's complaint a "political allegation," as he and his fellow councilman are often at odds. Kincaid previously said his concern in the matter is the "misuse of taxpayer-funded equipment."

"Kincaid is out here making political allegations, but I pray and hope that there are no criminal charges," Mays previously said. "I will say, where is (the laptop) safer? There or City Hall? City Hall has had break-ins. Other than that, I have no further comment."

Despite offers from outside agencies to investigate the case, Flint police said because the claims against Mays were directly related to his official service to the city of Flint, the probe would remain with their department.

Flint police to spearhead probe on councilman's pawned city laptop On Friday, June 9, the department released a statement explaining that because allegations against 1st Ward Councilman Eric Mays directly relate to his official service to the city of Flint, the alleged pawn deal probe will remain within the city.

The police department's internal affairs division - a division assigned both criminal and non-criminal allegations against Flint city employees relating to their official positions - spearheaded the investigation into the allegedly pawned computer.

Mays has neither confirmed nor denied to The Journal that he used the city's computer as collateral at the pawn shop, but said the city of Flint has "fallen on hard times."

However, other publications reported that Mays admitted to pawning the equipment.

"I don't think it's criminal," Mays told FlintBeat.com regarding the allegations. "It just shows I'm poor."

Mays has said since that he has the laptop back in his possession.

The issue is not the councilman's first run-in with the law.

Mays was jailed in January 2016 for 30 days after prosecutors claimed he crashed his vehicle in 2013 near Leith Street and Industrial Avenue in Flint before driving it nearly three miles and ending up facing the wrong way on Interstate 475.

He avoided an additional 90 days in jail after a jury found him guilty of disorderly conduct at a Flint City Council meeting. Mays -- who represented himself in court -- and prosecutors reached an agreement that he would instead pay a $200 fine.