Kwame Kilpatrick, the former mayor of Detroit, was sentenced recently to 28 years in prison by a jury, accused of corruption and being one of the factors that worsened the crisis which led to the city's bankruptcy.
According to information published by newspaper La Crónica in its website, prosecutors determined that during his five-year term, Kilpatrick defrauded the city for dozens of thousands of dollars, and used taxpayer money to lead a life of luxury, including the use of private jets among other excesses.
La Crónica points out that the former 43-year-old mayor of Detroit was accused in March of unlawful association, fraud, extortion and tax crimes, a process which led to the auditing of his bank accounts and credit cards.
The investigation of his bank accounts revealed that during his term, Kilpatrick spent $840,000 more than his salary would have allowed, money his lawyers attempted to pass as a birthday gift from his political allies, Univisión reported.
When he was informed of his sentence, the former mayor said he accepted his responsibility over the chain of events that led to crisis in Detroit. "I'm ready to leave so that the city can move on. The people here are suffering and I accept my responsibility for a good part of that suffering", Kilpatrick declared.
Further investigation from Detroit authorities pointed out that Kilpatrick misused the funds of various non-profit organizations destined to help the people of Detroit, and he allegedly associated himself with a contractor to con the city for over $83 million in commissions paid by promoters to obtain municipal works contracts, Diario Correo reported in its website.
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