West Bloomfield Trustee Charged With Hiding Spy Cameras in Women's Bedrooms, Freed on Bond
West Bloomfield Township Trustee Jim Manna faces seven felony counts after prosecutors say he hid cameras inside smoke detectors in two women's bedrooms and kept nude surveillance videos on his phone. He was arraigned Friday and released on a $100,000 personal bond with a GPS tether.
A West Bloomfield Township trustee accused of hiding surveillance cameras inside smoke detectors in two women's bedrooms was arraigned Friday on seven felony counts and released on a $100,000 personal bond.
Jibran "Jim" Manna, 65, appeared before a judge in 48th District Court by video link. He faces two counts of capturing or distributing an image of an unclothed person, a five-year felony, and five counts of eavesdropping by installing or using a device, a two-year felony. He is required to wear a GPS tether, is barred from contacting the two women identified as victims, cannot use any device with internet access or a camera, and is not allowed to return to his home. He is due back in court Aug. 25 at 8:45 a.m. for a probable cause conference, and this time he is expected to appear in person.
The case surfaced after the West Bloomfield Township Police Department received a complaint on Aug. 9. Because the allegations involved a sitting elected official, township police handed the investigation to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office rather than handling it themselves. Sheriff's spokesman Tyler Sweers said that kind of referral is common when a complaint targets a local official. Detectives arrested Manna that same day and booked him into the Oakland County Jail.
According to Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald, two adult women found cameras concealed inside smoke detectors installed in their bedrooms. Investigators then obtained search warrants for Manna's home, his office and his cellphone. The prosecutor's office said officers recovered additional hidden cameras during those searches, along with nude surveillance footage from the women's bedrooms and bathrooms stored on Manna's phone. The Sheriff's Office Computer Crimes Unit is still examining the seized devices, and the prosecutor's office says the investigation is ongoing.
"This was an appalling invasion of privacy," McDonald said in a statement announcing the charges. "The defendant's alleged actions exploited his victims in spaces where they expected to feel safest and most private."
Detectives submitted their findings to the prosecutor's office on Aug. 12, and charges were authorized the following day. Manna did not have an attorney listed in online court records as of Thursday.
Manna, a real estate broker, has served on the West Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees since he was first elected in 2016. Voters returned him to the seat in 2020 and again in 2024; his current term runs through November 2028.
Township Supervisor Jonathan Warshay confirmed he was aware of the arrest and said township business would continue without interruption.
"We will continue to monitor the situation," Warshay said in a statement. "I encourage everyone to respect our judicial process and remember the fundamental principle that every individual is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. Township business will continue as usual while our focus remains on serving those who live, work and visit West Bloomfield."
The Board of Trustees has not announced any move to suspend or remove Manna from his post, and no township meeting has been scheduled to address his status. Manna's next court date, the Aug. 25 probable cause conference, will determine whether the case proceeds toward trial in circuit court.
