BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. (AP) — An elected official in suburban Detroit is charged with stealing the campaign signs of a candidate running for school board.

Stuart Sherr is a wealthy businessman and a member of the Bloomfield Hills City Commission. He’s accused of illegally removing the yard signs of Anjali Prasad, a former federal prosecutor who lost a bid last fall for the local school board.

Sherr, who had Prasad’s signs in the trunk of his Jaguar, has pleaded not guilty. The Detroit Free Press reports that he told police he removed signs at the request of property owners, but property owners disputed his statement. Sherr says the signs were a threat to safety.

Prasad says she lost about 90 signs before she went to police with home video of a theft.