The News reported last year that Kilpatrick rejected an offer from the government to plead guilty and spend 15 years in prison. Kilpatrick rejected the deal before standing trial and being found guilty on 24 charges, including racketeering conspiracy.
Kilpatrick and co-defendant Bobby Ferguson are being held without bond at a federal prison in Milan. They will be sentenced Thursday.
In a filing late Friday, defense lawyer Margaret Sind Raben said the government wrongly calculated the value of corrupt Detroit Water and Sewerage Department contracts awarded during his time in office and his role in the racketeering activity, among other things.
“There is insufficient evidence that Mr. Kilpatrick was a leader in the conduct resulting in his conviction,” his lawyer wrote. “While Mr. Ferguson was certainly and successfully creating the impression among city vendors that (Kilpatrick) knew of and was directing Ferguson’s effort, there is little direct evidence that (Kilpatrick) was doing anything except endorsing Ferguson’s companies for DWSD work.”
From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20131004/METRO01/310040136#ixzz2gt9bDpeO