Man charged with discharging sewage into Lake Michigan, impersonating a federal officer
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LANSING - A Traverse City man faces trial later this fall on felony charges of illegally discharging sewage into Lake Michigan, illegally using Coast Guard insignia and impersonating a federal officer.
According to the federal grand jury indictment, Brent Tompkins discharged sewage into the lake near the White Shoal Light in Emmet County without a permit in August 2025.
The charge relates to the discharge of "graywater" -- what is sometimes described as "gently used wastewater" -- from the lighthouse's original plumbing system.
The indictment also alleges that in August 2023, Tompkins "operated a 30-foot decommissioned Coast Guard vessel emblazoned with a racing stripe intended to resemble the Coast Guard's insignia" and "falsely assumed and pretended to be" a Coast Guard member "when responding to a request for assistance in Lake Michigan."
Those two charges allegedly evolved from an incident when Tompkins offered to tow a distressed boat to either the lighthouse or to Mackinaw City but the boat owner insisted on being towed to Mackinac Island.
The red-and-white candy-cane-striped White Shoal Light is 20 miles west of the Mackinac Bridge.
"It can be seen from the bridge's center span on a clear day, according to the website of the White Shoal Light Historical Preservation Society.
The website identifies Tompkins as a co-owner of the lighthouse, which the U.S. General Services Administration auctioned off in 2016 for $110,009.
The society says its mission is to restore the lighthouse "to a mid-1950s vintage and make her accessible to the public for day tours & volunteer opportunities."
Timothy VerHey, the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Michigan said in a news release, "Reports that Tompkins was polluting Lake Michigan got our attention right away because protecting this natural resource is a high priority for my office."
And Joshua Packer of the Coast Guard Investigative Service, said in the release, "Impersonating Coast Guard personnel and misusing Coast Guard markings can create serious safety and security risks on the water."
Tompkins was released on bond pending trial.
His defense lawyer, LeRoy Kramer III of Harbor Springs, said he cannot comment on the case.
Jamie Calouette, the acting public information officer in the U.S. Attorney's Office, said she could not answer questions about the incidents or the investigation.
U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney scheduled a jury trial to begin on Nov. 3.
If convicted, Tompkins faces up to three years in prison and a fine of $5,000 to $50,000 a day on the pollution charge under the Clean Water Act. Impersonating a federal officer carries a maximum penalty of three years and a $250,000 fine, and unauthorized use of Coast Guard insignia carries a sentence of up to two years and a $250,000 fine, according to a court filing.