A former chief financial officer of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy has lost an appeal of his prison sentence. The individual, William Smith, was sentenced to 19 years in prison for embezzling funds from the nonprofit organization. The amount embezzled was more than $44 million.

A federal appeals panel made the decision to uphold the sentence, dismissing Smith's appeal. Further details on the case and the appeal decision are available from the source, Planet Detroit, for readers seeking more information on the outcome and the events surrounding the embezzlement and sentencing.