A newspaper's investigation found that a leader of the Wayne County sheriff's reserve unit once served jail time in a sexual assault case and for years had been listed on Michigan's sex offender registry.
The Detroit Free Press reports that as a deputy chief of a civilian volunteer force, Mark Zarkin carried a gun and wore a badge and uniform.
He resigned Feb. 4 after being interviewed by the newspaper.
Zarkin said he has no other criminal history and the case shouldn't matter when it comes to his reserve officer post.
His attorney noted Zarkin no longer has a criminal record related to the alleged 1996 sexual assault.
Last fall, the newspaper documented how Michigan lags in its regulation of reserve officers. It has continued reporting on the issue.