The case against a West Bloomfield Township trustee accused of hiding cameras in women’s bedrooms and bathrooms has advanced to Oakland County Circuit Court for possible trial.
A 48th District judge recently advanced the case against Jibran “Jim” Manna, 65, after he waived his right to a preliminary exam. Manna, who is a three-term trustee in the 66,000 township, is charged with two counts of capturing image of unclothed person and five counts of installing a device for eavesdropping. Various reports indicate the victims were adult stepchildren.
According to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office, two women found surveillance cameras hidden in smoke detectors in their bedrooms. A search of Manna’s home, office and cell phone turned up additional cameras, and Manna’s cell phone contained nude surveillance videos from the women’s bedrooms and bathrooms, the prosecutor’s office said.
Jibran Manna booking photo
West Bloomfield Police Chief Dale Young said the allegations were reported to his department and, because the accused is a sitting West Bloomfield Township official, the case was kept under wraps and referred right away to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office for an independent investigation. The prosecutor’s office authorized the criminal charges this past August.
Manna’s court file lists the offense date as April 13, 2025.
Capturing image of unclothed person is punishable by up to five years in prison. Installing a device for eavesdropping carries a penalty of up to two years in prison.
Manna, who is represented by Mitch Ribitwer, is out of custody on a personal bond. He’s scheduled for arraignment on Oct. 13 before Judge Jacob Cunningham.
Ribitwer told The Detroit News that they hope to work with the prosecutor’s office on a plea agreement to resolve the case.
Manna, who works as a real estate broker, has served on the township board for nearly a decade.
According to Oakland County clerk’s election results, Jim Manna was elected as trustee in November of 2016, receiving the most votes of the seven candidates, with 20,193 votes. He was reelected in 2020, again with the most votes at 24,437. Voters again reelected him in 2024, again with the most votes at 23,290.
West Bloomfield, where the median price of a single-family home is about $500,000, is a bedroom community where the township board has worked to maintain the quality of the community’s diversity and its environment, valuing its lakes and trees. A couple of decades ago, one controversial proposal called for homeowners and developers to replace any tree cut down on a residential property with a newly planted tree.
Despite calls to resign since his arrest, he remains a trustee, and his term ends in 2028.