Kilpatrick, now 42, was a rising political star in the Democratic Party when he was elected the youngest mayor in Detroit history in 2001. He resigned as part of a plea deal in a separate perjury case in 2008. Kilpatrick pocketed kickbacks, bought $60,000 worth of custom-made suits, and paid off credit cards with $280,000 in cash, Chutkow said.
Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick ran a criminal enterprise out of his office to enrich himself and family and friends, U.S. prosecutors said on Friday at the opening of Kilpatrick’s public corruption trial.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Chutkow told jurors the prosecution case would rely on testimony from former Kilpatrick associates and text messages to and from the former mayor in what is expected to be a four-month trial.
Kilpatrick’s attorney, James Thomas, denied the charges and countered that his client was a faithful public servant who had encountered fierce opposition from political foes.
If convicted Kilpatrick faces up to 30 years in prison for stealing millions from one of the poorest cities in the United States.
Kilpatrick and co-defendant Bobby Ferguson exchanged text messages such as, “‘Let’s get us some money,’ ‘No deal without me,’ ‘It’s my time to get paid’,” Chutkow told jurors.
The former mayor and two other co-defendants face a combined 46 counts including racketeering, extortion, bribery and income tax evasion.
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