Former Motown Reporter now a Private Eye

FTVLive has covered countless stories on TV news people leaving the business for a job outside of TV.

We have told you about TV newsies that quit to become spokespeople for politicians, school districts, private companies and police departments. Most quit to go into PR. 

But, one former Motown Reporter is doing something unique, he has traded in the mic to become a Private Investigator.  

Former WXYZ Investigative Reporter Scott Lewis has opened up his own PI business. 

He's open for business, with a website and a mission statement: "To be the investigative agency of choice and industry leader, our focus is on the needs of our clients. We achieve this by providing superior professional investigations and customer service, keeping our client’s interests and confidentiality in mind every step of the way."

Lewis believes it's an easy transition.

"It's the same skill set," he told Deadline Detroit. "You're digging up information. That's what I liked about TV-- the digging. I was not comfortable with the celebrity thing on TV, but I loved the thrill of the hunt."

Lewis, 62, worked in radio for WWJ and WXYZ-AM, then switched to television, working for Fox 2 and WXYZ (Channel 7).

He has specialized in investigations since 1997, and among his many targets were Lonnie Bates, the former member of the Detroit School Board and Detroit City Council who eventually went to prison for corruption, and Detroit police supervisors who, in a riveting report that included helicopter footage and Detroit police radio traffic, DPD supervisors who were doing such extracurricular activities as visiting a mistress and coaching a high school football team when they were supposed to be fighting crime.

In a video on his new website, he says: "How did I do it? No secret. Hard, honest work every day. I checked and rechecked my facts."

Lewis said he is open to all cases, from background checks to surveillance to infidelity investigations, but figures he'll be doing a lot of work for attorneys, especially on complex cases.

H/T Deadline Detroit