This reporting is made possible by the Northern Michigan Journalism Collaborative, led by Bridge Michigan and Interlochen Public Radio, and funded by Press Forward Northern Michigan.
BELLAIRE — Kelly Newell sat in the front row of an Antrim County courtroom, gripping a folder of notes, police records, complaints and financial documents going back years.
At the front of the courtroom, Daniel James Siefka, 36, of Manistee, was about to be sentenced on two misdemeanor charges. Newell and her husband said they paid Siefka in 2021 to build amenities for a wedding venue on their property, but he never did any work.
Before that January 2026 day Siefka finally faced punishment in Newell’s case, he had kept working after repeatedly being sued by several other property owners and charged in multiple counties for similar activities.
“Dealing with him is nothing…
Be skeptical of “Work from Home” offers that require you to receive money into your personal account and transfer it elsewhere, as this makes you a “Money Mule” in a money-laundering operation.