Kwame Kilpatrick, the disgraced former Detroit mayor who moved to North Texas, has been sentenced to 28 years in prison for corruption that turned city hall into a pay-to-play parlor.
He will likely serve his prison sentence in Texas.
Kilpatrick was convicted earlier this year of two dozen crimes, including racketeering conspiracy, bribery and extortion. There was evidence of shakedowns, kickbacks and strong-arm tactics to reap tens of thousands of dollars and other benefits from people who wanted city business, The Associated Press reported.
The sentence was a victory for prosecutors, who had recommended Kilpatrick serve at least 28 years in prison. Defense attorneys argued for no more than 15 years.
Kilpatrick quit office in 2008 after a different scandal involving sexually explicit text messages and an extramarital affair. The 43-year-old Democrat served as mayor for nearly seven years.
Kilpatrick is married and has three children. In 2008, while Kilpatrick was in jail, his family moved to Southlake, where they lived in a swanky suburban mansion – a lifestyle that infuriated people in Detroit since he still owed restitution. Later, the family moved to Grand Prairie.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds said she will recommend Kilpatrick be sent to a prison in Texas, where his family still lives, The Detroit Free Press reported. The judge told Kilpatrick he could appeal. His restitution hearing will be held within 90 days.
The Free Press has more here. Here’s social media reaction to the prison sentence.
In 2010, The Dallas Morning News interviewed Kwame Kilpatrick and his wife. “It's time for everyone to move on,” he said at the time.
The Free Press produced this informative video report about the rise and fall of the former mayor:
Also, Kwame Kilpatrick's wife, Carlita, had been working in Duncanville as a specialist for an athletic facility. But the city fired her over the summer after a box filled with more than $300 was found in her desk drawer -- extra money that came into the facility that should have been reported. WDIV-TV in Detroit has more details:
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
