By Tresa Baldas and Jim Schaefer
3/31/14 DETROIT FREE PRESS
Kwame Fitzpatrick mug shot.
Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was sentenced to 28 years in prison for running a "money-making racket" out of city hall that steered millions to himself, his family and friends while the impoverished city hobbled along. VPC
In March, Kwame Kilpatrick was convicted on 24 of 30 counts of extortion, racketeering, bribery. Prosecutors had argued he deserved stiff sentence because he never thought he did anything wrong
DETROIT — Seven months after the historic conviction of Detroit's former mayor on wide-ranging public corruption charges, Kwame Kilpatrick was sentenced Thursday to 28 years in prison for running what the government called a money-making racket out of City Hall.Kilpatrick had steered millions to himself, family and friends while an impoverished Detroit hobbled along, prosecutors said.
Kilpatrick, 43, was found guilty March 11 on 24 of 30 counts of corruption, including five counts of extortion, racketeering, bribery and several mail, wire and tax fraud charges. On three counts he was found not guilty, and on the remaining three no verdict was reached.
In this case, the overarching issue is that public officials are responsible to the citizenry, Edmunds said. "One thing is certain," she said. "It was the citizens of Detroit who suffered."
Edmunds said Kwame Kilpatrick took bribes, misused nonprofit funds and "used his power as mayor ... to steer an astounding amount of business (said to be some $35 million)" to his friend and co-defendant, Bobby Ferguson, who also was convicted on charges of running a racket out of the mayor's office.
Text messages and witnesses bolstered allegations that Kilpatrick's relationship with Ferguson — whom the government has called the key player in the pair's extortion scheme — was at the heart of the criminal activity. Federal prosecutors are seeking a maximum 28-year prison sentence for Ferguson.
He chose to waste his talents on personal aggrandizement and enrichment. We lost transparency. We lost accountability. Judge Nancy Edmunds, U.S. District Court said she will recommend Kilpatrick be sent to a prison in Texas, where his family lives, and told Kilpatrick that he can appeal. Restitution will be determined later, and a hearing will happen within 90 days.
The judge said Kilpatrick lived the high life, hosting lavish parties, accepting cash tributes and loading the city's payroll with friends and family.
Despite a speech in court Thursday in which the former mayor spoke in a soft voice, asked for a fair sentence and said he accepted responsibility, Edmunds said Kilpatrick largely has shown little remorse. Kilpatrick's defense team had wanted Edmunds to consider Kilpatrick's accomplishments as mayor.
"He chose to waste his talents on personal aggrandizement and enrichment," Edmunds said. "We lost transparency. We lost accountability. ... That way of business is over. We're done."
Detroit's present mayor, David Bing, echoed that sentiment. "I'm glad that this negative chapter in Detroit's history has finally come to an end," he said in a statement. "Today's sentencing sends a strong message to everyone in public office. As we move forward with Detroit's transformation, honesty, transparency, and integrity in city leadership will be paramount."
After the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade said the judge sent a powerful message: "The people of Detroit will not tolerate this abuse of power."
