Metro Detroit business owner charged with theft of funds, fraud in $20M grant

A Farmington Hills businesswoman faces 16 felony charges related to the theft of funds and the fraudulent administration of a $20 million state grant, the Michigan Attorney General's office said. 

Fay Beydoun, 62, is accused of appropriating funds "for her own personal use and enrichment" over a state legislative grant that was awarded to her company, Global Link International, the AG's office said. At the time, Beydoun served on the Michigan Economic Development Corporation Executive Committee. 

State officials said Beydoun "repeatedly lied to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) about expenses contrary to the purpose of the grant and activities of the business accelerator, and did each of these to further a criminal enterprise for her own financial gain." 

The charges against Beydoun are pending in the 47th District Court in Farmington Hills. An arraignment date has not been set. 

The most serious charge, one count of conducting a criminal enterprise, is a 20-year felony. She also faces charges of forgery, larceny by conversion and uttering and publishing for activity that took place during 2023 and 2024. 

The specifics included submitting a French-language invoice for two handmade rugs "to falsely justify at $6,148.99 expense reportedly for an investor dinner," according to the felony complaint filed with the court. 

There were also fraudulent catering expenses credited to Global Link, "when in each instance the costs were incurred by Beydoun personally to host two separate dinners associated with then-Mayor of Detroit Mike Duggan at her home in Farmington Hills," the attorney general's office said. 

"The process by which this 'grant' was proposed, developed, awarded, and administered bears practically zero semblance to the traditional grant process, and was only made possible through a system that pairs political cronyism with minimal oversight," Attorney General Dana Nessel said. 

"Since the enactment of the Global Link grant, some significant reforms have been enacted by the Legislature. These reforms are meaningful, but with millions of dollars in public funding at hand, the State and each of its agencies must do more to prevent abuses of state funds and to require responsible administration of enhancement grants — regardless of whether their recipients enjoy positions of power, privilege, and political connections." 

The attorney general's office said its investigation into Global Link International's funding and administration remains ongoing. The state grant to Global Link was terminated by MEDC in March 2026, "following reports of financial irregularities," the office said. 

State prosecutors have also frozen more than $6.3 million in grant funds held in bank accounts connected to Beydoun. 

Vincent Haisha, partner at Flood Law, which is representing Beydoun, issued the following statement after charges were announced:   

"For the last six months, our firm has attempted to demonstrate the illogical nature of the allegations against Ms. Beydoun to the Michigan Department of Attorney General. Despite those efforts, it is evident that certain parties felt the need to further this very public spectacle in a way that is neither supported by the evidence that we have seen nor the investigative materials we possess. As always, we will save our best arguments for the courtroom and pursue every avenue available for our client," Haisha said.