KingKwame.com - Kwame Kilpatrick

Phone calls from Detroit city-issued phones on Tamara Greene's cell phone!

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 20:47:07 -0400

Otherwise known as… Shit is GOING DOWN. The trial in which Kwame is accused of being a complicitor in the disappearance and murder of Tamara Greene has just taken a turn right toward home base. Lawyers for the family of Tamara Greene have just revealed that Tamara Greene’s cell phone had several calls on it directly from city-issued cell phones. In other words, Kwame or people who work for him had been calling her.

Story on WXYZ »

Lawyer: calls from city-issued cell phones on slain stripper’s phone?

Posted: 08/26/2010

By: Heather Catallo

DETROIT (WXYZ) - Action News Investigator Heather Catallo has learned that a flurry of legal sniping back and forth between the City of Detroit and the lawyer in the slain stripper lawsuit has revealed an interesting detail about phone numbers that appeared on Tamara Greene’s cell phone.

Court records suggest that there were both outgoing and incoming calls on Tamara Greene’s phone from numbers that look like they belonged to City of Detroit employees.

And that’s why the lawyer for her family wants more records handed over.

Who called Tamara Greene from numbers that possibly match cell phones issued to City of Detroit employees?

That’s what attorney Norman Yatooma wants to know.

Yatooma is suing the City and former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick – claiming they obstructed the investigation into Greene’s murder.

The exotic dancer was rumored to have performed at a never-proven wild party that Kilpatrick allegedly held at the Manoogian Mansion.

It’s been alleged that the ex-mayor’s wife, Carlita, interrupted the party and assaulted Greene.

In this motion to compel discovery for the lawsuit, Yatooma writes, “there is substantial justification for.. [the] City of Detroit to disclose to [the] Plaintiff’s which City employees may have been in communication… or aided in, the cover-up of the assault committed on Ms.Greene by Defendant Kilpatrick’s wife.”

Yatooma wants to see documents that identify the name and complete cell phone number for every City employee that was issued with an area code and prefix of either 313-999 or 313-220 because those “numbers repeatedly appeared on Tamara Greene’s personal phone records.”

In a motion filed Thursday, lawyers for the city said they would have to search through 48,000 pages of records to determine who those cell numbers belong to.

The judge in this case will hold a hearing about this on September 2nd.

Secret woman deposed in Tamara Greene case

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 13:00:00 -0400

Looks like another one of many surprises (witnesses?) in the case of Kwame stopping the case of Tamara Greene (Strawberry, the stripper who was found dead after Kwame’s famed Manoogian party, which he claims never happened). As they say… Shit is goin’ down.

Story on MLive.com »

Deposition set for unnamed woman in Tamara ‘Strawberry’ Greene suit

Published: Saturday, August 14, 2010, 1:00 PM
Updated: Saturday, August 14, 2010, 1:40 PM
The Associated Press

An attorney representing the family of a slain Detroit stripper will depose an unnamed woman as part of a civil lawsuit against the city and ex-Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.

The Detroit News reports the woman is to testify Saturday. Her identity has been sealed. Her testimony also will be sealed in federal court in Detroit.

The lawsuit claims Kilpatrick stifled an investigation into Tamara Greene’s 2003 shooting death. She is believed to have performed at a rumored — yet never proven — party in 2002 at the official mayoral residence.

Kilpatrick has denied any involvement in her death.

The Detroit Free Press also reports that attorney Norman Yatooma has submitted a witness list containing 331 names, including that of an admitted hit man.

___

Information from: The Detroit News, http://detnews.com/

Law suit says Kwame's Kousin misused charity funds

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 20:31:00 -0400

Getting into yet more fake charities from the Kilpatrick family… first the Kilpatrick Civic Fund, now the Manoogian Mansion Restoration Society (MMRS)…

Story on freep.com »

Posted: 6:42 p.m. Aug. 13, 2010 | Updated: 6:52 p.m. today
Kilpatrick’s cousin misused charitable funds, suit says

By Tresa Baldas
Free Press staff writer

Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox has filed a civil lawsuit against a cousin of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, alleging she used thousands of dollars of charitable money to cover personal expenses, including jewelry, a restaurant tab at the Roostertail, a veterinary bill and bridal expenses.

According to the lawsuit, filed Aug. 11 in Ingham County Circuit Court, Nneka Cheeks, while employed by the then-mayor, diverted $25,000 from the Manoogian Mansion Restoration Society’s (MMRS) bank account for her own personal use. The charitable fund, which Cheeks had access to, was supposed to be used to help preserve and restore the Manoogion Mansion.Instead, the lawsuit claims, Cheeks dipped into the fund and withdrew more than $7,000 in cash and made roughly $17,000 in questionable payments to third parties, including:

• $3943.40 – Pioneer Credit Recovery• $3590 – Roostertail restaurant in Detroit • $2631.06 – Jewelry Factory in Livonia • $2,500 – Florida-based golf academy Leadbetter Orlando • $1,865.51 – Paypal Payments • $1300 – Michigan Veterinary Specialists • $1140 – Brides Made Fit • $450 – Charles Mok, D.O.
“The generosity of Michigan families and businesses is remarkable and good for our state, so it is important to ensure their charitable donations are used as intended — not stuffed into the pockets of people entrusted with managing the funds,” Cox said in a statement.
The civil complaint asks the court to order Cheeks to account for the funds she handled, to return the money, and to pay damages in the amount of triple the sum she diverted.
As of late Friday, Cheeks had not yet been served because Cox’s office could not locate her.
Cheeks declined comment.
According to the suit, Cheeks worked for Kilpatrick from 2002 to 2008. In 2007, she assumed the unofficial role of mayoral liaison to the MMRS and acquired access to the group’s bank account. She left her job at the mayor’s office in 2008, but retained access to the organization’s bank account into mid-2009.
The lawsuit alleges that over the course of the Kilpatrick Administration, leadership of the Manoogian Mansion society became passive, and the organization failed to comply with federal and state reporting and licensing requirements.. In January, Cox’s Charitable Trust Section issued a subpoena for the Society’s books and records, with which the Society voluntarily complied. A review of the books and records led to the lawsuit against Cheeks.
Attorney David Baker Lewis, who represents the Manoogian Mansion Restoration Society, was unavailable for comment.
The lawsuit resembles allegations made in a federal indictment against Kilpatrick, in which the ex-mayor is accused of using Civic Funds for personal use. He has denied wrongdoing.
Contact TRESA BALDAS: (313) 222-4296 or tbaldas@freepress.com

Kwame Mommy losing election according to polls

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 22:49:48 -0400

Poor Kwame mommy. First you get stuck with a human trainwreck for a son, now you have to deal with losing your job, most likely because of public perception of your family due to all of the crooks in it.

It should be stated that to the best of our knowledge, Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick has never been involved with the family’s shady dealings. In fact, she is divorced from Bernard Kilpatrick (Kwame Daddy), one of those involved with the Kilpatrick Civic Fund scam.

Story on MLive »

U.S. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick losing party nomination to Hansen Clarke
Published: Tuesday, August 03, 2010, 9:58 PM
Updated: Tuesday, August 03, 2010, 10:01 PM

Aaron Foley | MLive.com

Early poll results show U.S. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick is succumbing to challenger Hansen Clarke in a race to oversee Michigan’s 13th district, potentially putting the congresswoman in the backseat of politics this term.

With 34 percent of precincts reporting, Clarke of Detroit had 48 percent of vote, to 37 percent for Cheeks Kilpatrick. The winner faces businessman John Hauler of Grosse Pointe Woods, who ran unopposed in the GOP primary.

The embattled seven-term congresswoman began losing ground with constituents in recent polls conducted after legal troubles concerning her son, former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, increased.

Cheeks Kilpatrick has often been praised for her role on the House’s Appropriations Committee. As the only current Michiganian on the committee, she has been cited numerous times for allocating necessary funds to the Detroit area, particularly with the recently announced Woodward Light Rail project.

Her challenger, Clarke, said he would not mention Cheeks Kilpatrick’s son in any campaign material, but the former mayor’s troubles may have clouded her image.

Cheeks Kilpatrick’s political career began as a state representative in 1979, where she served until 1996. From 1997 to 2003, she served in the House representing the state’s 15th congressional district, before redistricting moved her to the 13th district.

Only until 2008, when Cheeks Kilpatrick was riding on six consecutive re-elections, did she begin to face strong challenges from opponents. After the text-message scandal that brought down her son, Cheeks Kilpatrick only narrowly kept her seat from challengers Mary Waters and Martha Scott.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Kwame testifies in slain dancer lawsuit

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 22:38:00 -0400

Story on Detroit News »

Kilpatrick testifies in slain dancer suit
Ex-Detroit mayor’s deposition to continue in slain dancer case
Paul Egan / The Detroit News

Detroit — Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick gave about four hours of testimony Thursday in a federal lawsuit brought by the family of a slain exotic dancer, but was returned to prison before completing his deposition.

Kilpatrick’s deposition will likely be completed Thursday, Aug. 9 or Aug. 10, said Norman Yatooma, the Birmingham attorney representing the family of Tamara “Strawberry” Greene.
James C. Thomas, Kilpatrick’s Detroit attorney, said the former mayor’s schedule is dictated by the U.S. Marshal Service.

“Mr. Kilpatrick was asked quite a few questions, and he was responsive,” Thomas said. “We had a lengthy deposition.”

Yatooma confirmed Kilpatrick answered questions. “I’m certainly happy that we finally got Mr. Kilpatrick under oath,” he said.

Neither attorney would characterize the tone of the session, but they confirmed Chief U.S. District Judge Gerald E. Rosen had to get involved to resolve disputes. Neither would say whether Kilpatrick invoked his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination.

Kilpatrick, dressed in a blue business suit, entered the small conference room at the federal courthouse shortly before 10:30 a.m. His hands were cuffed behind his back, and he was flanked by U.S. marshals. Already inside the room were Jonathan Bond, the 17-year-old son of Greene, and Ernest Flagg, Bond’s father.

Greene, who was linked to a rumored party at the mayor’s city-owned Manoogian Mansion in the fall 2002, was shot to death in Detroit on April 30, 2003. Her family is suing Kilpatrick and the city. The defendants deny the allegations.

Lawyers also are trying to schedule a time to complete the deposition of Christine Beatty, Kilpatrick’s former chief of staff, who gave a partial deposition Wednesday.

Kilpatrick, 40, is serving time at Milan for a state probation violation and awaiting trial on federal fraud and tax charges.

Voicemail - Debt Collector for King Kwame

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:31:00 -0400

Presumably on the trail of a few hundred robotic voicemails that the King Kwame line has received from DTE Energy, the King is now receiving voicemails from NCO Financial Systems debt collection company instead. Listen in the player below.

Kwame Wife and Kwame Daddy try to avoid deposition

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:56:10 -0400

Kwame’s wife and Kwame’s daddy are asking the judge to let them skate away on having to answer questions about Tamara Greene (Strawberry)’s murder. Surprise! - KingKwame.com

Story on WDIV »

Kilpatrick’s Wife, Father Trying To Avoid Deposition
Kwame Kilpatrick Expected To Be Deposed July 29

POSTED: Monday, July 26, 2010
UPDATED: 3:28 pm EDT July 26, 2010

DETROIT — Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s wife, Carlita, and his father, Bernard, have asked a federal judge to quash a request to depose them in the Tamara Greene lawsuit.

Greene was an exotic dancer who was said to have danced at a long-rumored party at the mayoral Manoogian Mansion. Greene was killed in a drive-by shooting several months later in April 2003.

Carlita and Bernard Kilpatrick filed the requests in U.S. District Court in Detroit Sunday in response to a deposition request by Greene’s family. The two are set to be deposed in Texas on Aug. 5 and 6.

PDF: Carlita, Bernard Ask Courts To Quash Depositions

Greene’s family is suing the city for $150 million, claiming Detroit police deliberately blocked the investigation into her death.

The family claims Greene was assaulted by Carlita Kilpatrick at the never-proven party and later killed by a Detroit police gun.

The Kilpatricks’ attorney, Bobbie Gray Edmunds of Fort Worth, said in court filings that his clients intend to invoke their Fifth Amendments rights and decline to give testimony to avoid incriminating themselves.

Carlita Kilpatrick will invoke her spousal privileges against providing information against her husband.

Kwame Kilpatrick is in federal prison in Milan after he was sentenced to one and a half to five years in prison for state probation violation. Last month he was indicted on 19 federal tax evasion charges and faces an ongoing investigation.

“Information could adversely affect her and the Kwame Kilpatrick matter,” the court filings say. “Therefore, the subpoena should be quashed.”

Also, Carlita Kilpatrick is requesting that her deposition be sealed because she has minor children who “could read and understand the negative news stories about the family and it would serve no legitimate public interest to have her deposition, if taken be made to the public,” said the court filings.

Bernard Kilpatrick is also requesting that if he is deposed, the records remain sealed to further protect his family.

Both have requested that the depositions not be video taped and not last longer than two hours.

U.S. District Judge Gerald Rosen has not yet decided whether the Kilpatricks will be deposed.

Local 4 has learned that 32 people, including former Detroit Police Chiefs Ella Bully-Cummings and Jerry Oliver, are all scheduled to testify within the next two weeks.

Kwame Kilpatrick’s deposition has been scheduled for July 29.

Two of Kilpatrick’s former bodyguards, Mike Martin and Lorenzo Jones, and Detroit police whistle-blower Gary Brown were deposed last Friday.

A Michigan inmate, Darrett King, was also deposed. He is in prison for assault with intent to commit murder in 2004. His role in the lawsuit isn’t known.

Greene’s family’s Attorney, Norman Yatooma, said he’s looking for the truth, and hopes that by using the law, he’ll find it.

“Perjury is a bit of a hot button in this town. We all know some high-ranking folks who have been held culpable for perjuring themselves,” Yatooma said. “When you sit in for a deposition, it’s no different than sitting in front of a judge. You’re under oath. Every word you say must be truthful.”

Manoogian Mansion Party Witness Goes On Record

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:49:46 -0400

Story on WDIV »

POSTED: Monday, July 26, 2010
UPDATED: 6:14 pm EDT July 26, 2010

DETROIT — In what could be one of the biggest investigative stories to hit this town in years, Local 4 News Defender Kevin Dietz reveals an eyewitness who is will to go on record about the much-rumored but never proven Detroit Manoogian Mansion party.

No Sugar For the Kwaym!

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 17:23:37 -0400

No touch-a the hiney, Kwame. That’s right! The Kwaminator is NOT ALLOWED to physically touch his own wife while she visits him in prison. Maybe he has to buy credits for that?

Detroit 7 Action News story »

Report says Kilpatrick inappropriately touched his wife during July visit

Posted: 4:03 PM
Last Updated: 57 minutes ago

MANISTEE, Mich. (WXYZ) - Action News has learned that former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is in trouble for his conduct behind bars.

Kilpatrick has been cited in a Michigan Department of Corrections’ Major Misconduct Report for having inappropriate physical contact with his wife. The report says that Kilpatrick touched his wife’s breast during a July 4 visit at the Oaks Correctional Facility in Manistee.

(Image of actual report when you click through to see more)

The report says the incident happened in the visitors room at the prison and that it was observed by a guard who was watching the closed circuit feed of the room.

The report indicates that a hearing was set for July 15, but it is not clear if that hearing has been held or if it has been postponed to a later date.

Kilpatrick’s spokesman Mike Paul has released the following statement about the incident:

“This is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard of in my life. Another example of people trying to pile on in any way, shape or form on this man. This is his wife. Not his girlfriend, not a guard, not somebody he met at the prison. If the alleged incident did indeed happen, Kilpatrick should have been warned, like any other prisoner on a first time offense, and not written up. Someone in the prison is obviously looking to make a name for himself by going after Mr. Kilpatrick once again. This time for allegedly loving his wife. This is absurd.”

Lawyer wants Kwame deposed in Tamara Greene lawsuit from prison cell

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 17:50:50 -0400

Norman Yatooma, attorney for Tamara “Strawberry” Greene’s family, wants K Squared be deposed in prison for the lawsuit brought against him by the family of the slain stripper. I say, BRING THAT $&!T ON. All of these charges against him for corruption aren’t going to mean a thing when he is convicted in the Tamara Greene case. Justice needs to be served. It’s coming, thanks to Kym Worthy.

Detroit News: Lawyer wants Kilpatrick deposed in prison for stripper lawsuit »

Last Updated: June 29. 2010 4:32PM
Lawyer wants Kilpatrick deposed in prison for stripper lawsuit
Paul Egan / The Detroit News

Detroit — A lawyer for the family of slain exotic dancer Tamara “Strawberry” Greene wants a judge to order former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to sit for a video deposition in state prison.

Greene, who was linked to a rumored stripper party at the mayor’s Manoogian Mansion in the fall of 2002, was shot to death in Detroit on April 30, 2003.

Her family is suing Kilpatrick and the city of Detroit, alleging they obstructed the investigation of her still unsolved murder. The defendants deny the allegations.

Norman Yatooma, the lawyer for Greene’s family, has been attempting for months to schedule a sworn deposition of Kilpatrick, who is now serving time at Oaks Correctional Facility near Manistee, for a probation violation.

In a court filing today, Yatooma said prison officials want a court order before they will allow Kilpatrick to answer questions under oath at the prison.

Initially, Kilpatrick’s lawyers would not agree to the video deposition on July 8 unless Kilpatrick was allowed to wear a suit, instead of his prison garb, Yatooma said.

But after prison officials agreed to let Kilpatrick wear a suit, “Kilpatrick’s counsel now advises that he himself is no longer available on July 8” and the deposition will have to be rescheduled, Yatooma said.

James C. Thomas, the Detroit attorney representing Kilpatrick in the Greene case, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Kilpatrick was sentenced to 18 months to five years in prison in May after a Wayne County judge found he violated his probation by concealing assets that could have been put toward his $1 million court-ordered restitution.

The restitution stemmed from a 2008 conviction for obstruction of justice stemming from lies Kilpatrick told at a police whistle-blower trial in 2007. The former mayor served 99 days in jail in 2008 and 2009 on that conviction.

On Wednesday a federal grand jury indicted Kilpatrick on 19 counts of felony fraud and tax charges related to his nonprofit, the Kilpatrick Civic Fund. He has not yet been arraigned on those charges.

DTE Energy says King Kwame owes them money

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 13:55:00 -0400

Ever since KingKwame.com got our own phone line, 313-40KWAME, we’ve been getting voicemails from DTE Energy, claiming that our account is behind. Seeing as how KingKwame.com is not a building, we do not have electricity, or anything that DTE Energy would even offer. We have no account with DTE Energy. This leaves 2 possibilities. 1) They think we’re Kwame Kilpatrick, and he owes them money. 2) Our number used to belong to some other person who owes them money.

Listen to the voicemail here:

In case you want to have some fun with them, here’s the info:

Numbers they’ve called from: (248) 948-2847, (248) 948-8934, (248) 948-0850

Number they say to call back: (877) 305-4914

Our number: (313) 405-9263 (313-40-Kwame, but just give them the numbers if you call.)

Bribery! More charges against Kwame and his salami?

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 03:31:00 -0400

http://www.freep.com/article/20100625/NEWS01/6250338/1001/news

Posted: June 25, 2010
Kwame Kilpatrick bribery claims to fuel more charges?
Witnesses in corruption case given lighter sentences

BY M.L. ELRICK and DAVID ASHENFELTER
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITERS

If federal authorities believe businessmen ensnared in the long-running investigation of City Hall corruption, Kwame Kilpatrick did a lot more than tap into his nonprofit Kilpatrick Civic Fund to support a high-flying lifestyle.

A sludge-hauling executive and Cobo Center contractor each told the feds they were shaken down for cash or contributions in return for Kilpatrick’s support of contracts they sought with the city. A financial manager from Chicago also said he paid $10,000 to the civic fund, which was created as a social welfare fund. Afterward, Kilpatrick expressed support for a pension deal.

Their assertions, experts said, leave open the question of whether Kilpatrick yet will face public corruption charges, such as bribery, extortion or even racketeering.

But so far, Kilpatrick is facing just fraud and tax charges, courtesy of a 19-count indictment issued Wednesday.

David Griem, a former federal prosecutor, predicts more trouble for the former mayor.

“The investigation has uncovered so much pay-to-play conduct that there will be several other indictments,” said Griem, who has represented witnesses in the city corruption investigation.

Bribery claims to fuel more charges?
Karl Kado told federal investigators he gave $100,000 to Kilpatrick to keep his Cobo Center contracts.

James Rosendall of Synagro Technologies said he contributed about $200,000 to Kilpatrick’s campaign and nonprofit funds to win his support for a $1.2-billion sludge disposal deal in Detroit.

John Orecchio said he gave $10,000 to the nonprofit Kilpatrick Civic Fund in return for Kilpatrick’s support of a $20-million deal he was pitching to a city public pension fund.

Federal authorities have indicated they believe the men. After each was charged with a crime, they were given more lenient sentences in return for their cooperation in ongoing corruption investigations.

For example, in justifying their support for a light sentence for Kado, prosecutors wrote: “The need for deterrence must be weighed with the importance of obtaining cooperation from persons like Kado, without whom the government would not be able to hold certain public officials accountable for their illegal conduct.”

Prosecutors continued: “The government anticipates that Kado will likely be a witness in the future in the grand jury and at trial when charges against additional defendants are brought.”

At Kado’s sentencing in March, his lawyer, Chris Andreoff, said he hoped Kado’s cooperation would help “ferret out this pay-to-play mind-set that permeated this city from 2002 through 2008.”

Kilpatrick first took office as Detroit’s mayor on Jan. 1, 2002, and stepped down on Sept. 18, 2008, as part of the plea deal he struck to end the criminal case against him stemming from the text message scandal.

Prosecutors have been similarly complimentary of Rosendall’s cooperation in the ongoing Synagro bribery scandal. He entered federal prison on June 15 to serve 11 months.

Despite years of bribery and corruption rumors, and federal court filings alluding to misconduct by Kilpatrick, the charges brought Wednesday were for fraud, filing false tax returns and tax evasion.

After the indictment was announced, Kilpatrick spokesman Mike Paul said there were no other charges because Kilpatrick was not “personally involved with corruption, payoffs and bribes.”

“Those rumors were hurtful and were lies from the pit of hell!” Paul wrote in a news release.

But Griem, who has represented witnesses in the public corruption investigation, said Paul’s comments were premature.

Griem said Wednesday’s indictment was likely the feds’ way of serving notice to Kilpatrick — and not the end of the seven-year investigation.

“I think that he will have a choice to make. The choice is to work out a global settlement of everything and plead, or face three, four other indictments,” Griem said, adding that Kilpatrick could be charged with bribery, extortion and money laundering.

Wayne State University law professor Peter Henning, also a former federal prosecutor, said the government conceivably could bring other charges against Kilpatrick: bribery, extortion, depriving citizens of the honest services of their public officials or even a racketeering influenced corrupt organizations (RICO) case.

But he said those cases are more complicated and harder to prove, and would force prosecutors who have lost some high-profile cases in Detroit federal court in recent years to put unsavory witnesses on the stand.

“They’d have to bring in cooperating witnesses who have cut deals with the government,” Henning said. “These witnesses are open to substantial cross-examination. They’re dirty witnesses.”

Kwamiliation: Indicted by Feds. 20 more years in the pokey?

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 20:14:18 -0400

Kwamiliated yet again. Kwame finally indicted on Kilpatrick Civic Fund scam.

http://www.freep.com/article/20100623/NEWS01/100623045/1321/Kilpatrick-indicted-by-feds-on-19-mail-fraud-tax-counts

Posted: 3:01 p.m. June 23, 2010 | Updated: 3:38 p.m. today
Ex-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick indicted by feds on 19 mail fraud, tax counts

By M.L. ELRICK AND DAVID ASHENFELTER
Free Press Staff Writers

A 19-count federal indictment accuses former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick of carrying out a scheme, hatched 11 years ago, to use his nonprofit Kilpatrick Civic Fund to pay for personal and campaign expenses in violation of the law.

If convicted of the charges, he faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

The indictment says that Kilpatrick, 40, currently imprisoned for probation violation, used civic fund money to pay friends and relatives and for items ranging from countersurveillance and anti-bugging equipment to yoga and golf lessons, golf clubs and summer camp for his children.

Other expenses from the fund — which had a stated purpose of voter education and improving Detroit’s neighborhoods and image — included personal travel for Kilpatrick, moving expenses, car rentals and leases, and a personal residence, the indictment alleges.

Campaign expenses allegedly paid through the civic fund included public relations and consulting work.
Unreported taxable income of $640,000 charged

While Kilpatrick was mayor he received unreported taxable income of $640,000 between 2003 and 2008, according to a press release issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Detroit.

The income included cash, private jet flights and personal expenses paid for by the Kilpatrick Civic Fund.

Kilpatrick is accused of filing false tax returns, failing to declare the income and failing to declare that income in the tax years 2003-2007. He is accused of evading taxes in 2008.

“It is important that public officials not escape prosecution just because they leave office,” U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade said in the statement announcing the indictment. “Public officials need to be accountable to deter them and others from cheating our citizens in the future.”

Detroit FBI Chief Andrew Arena said in a statement that the charges are part of a continuing investigation into “the corruption that has long plagued the City of Detroit.

He said the “FBI will continue to investigate and expose the public officials and their associates who participate in these schemes involving blatant greed.”

Kilpatrick is set to be arraigned July 13 at the federal courthouse in Detroit.
Ex-mayor serving 18 months at prison in Manistee

Kilpatrick is currently serving an 18-month sentence at a state prison in Manistee for violating his probation on obstruction of justice charges,

Michigan Department of Corrections spokesman John Cordell said Kilpatrick was at the Oaks Correctional Facility in Manistee.

“The Department of Corrections will work with the federal government to ensure Mr. Kilpatrick is at any proceedings he needs to be at,” Cordell said.

Kilpatrick was imprisoned for violating probation in the perjury case arising out of the text-message scandal that cost him his office.

Kwame's Kash Confiscated from prison store account

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 02:11:35 -0400

No Kash for Kwame! Apparently, Kwame’s prison has the right to take 50% of all deposits over $50 made to his prison store account in order to apply them toward his restitution. So, if you’re going to give some Kwame Kash, make sure you do it in $49 increments, unless you want the man to take it! Even worse, the prison store only allows each inmate to spend a maximum $75/month at the store. How are you supposed to make it through an entire month with only $75 worth of Little Debbie snacky cakes?

http://detnews.com/article/20100617/METRO/6170404/1409/rss36

Full text below.

Last Updated: June 17. 2010 1:00AM
Kilpatrick’s prison store cash goes to restitution
Corrections Dept. seizes $347.50 as deposits from outside exceed limits
Doug Guthrie / The Detroit News

Detroit — Although his required monthly payments toward restitution ended when he was sentenced to prison, Kwame Kilpatrick made an apparently inadvertent payment this month anyway.

The state Department of Corrections has seized $347.50 from the former mayor of Detroit’s prison store account.

That means Kilpatrick, Inmate No. 702408, now owes slightly less than $860,000 of the $1 million he promised to pay the city of Detroit as part of his 2008 plea deal that avoided trial on felony charges stemming from the text message scandal.

“It’s not a huge amount, but we will continue to monitor his accounts and will plug away at his restitution,” Department of Corrections spokesman Russell Marlan said Wednesday. Since his arrival in the prison system May 25, the day he was sentenced by Wayne Circuit Judge David Groner to serve 1 1/2 to 5 years, Kilpatrick’s prison store account has received three deposits from outside sources. Marlan said privacy rules prevent naming the sources. The total amounted to more than $700.

Complicated prison rules allow the state to take half of every deposit that exceeds $50.

After applying the overages to Kilpatrick’s restitution, his account as of Wednesday had an allowed balance of $319.78.

Prisoners generally are limited to spending no more than $75 a month in the prison store on items like toothpaste, aspirin and hand lotion. The store also offers snacks like potato chips. Little Debbie baked goods are popular, said Marlan, and ramen noodle soups are the No. 1 seller. “We have strict limits because we don’t want a prisoner acquiring a lot of goods to trade for other services,” Marlan said.

Groner sent Kilpatrick to prison after being convinced he violated terms of probation.

The judge said Kilpatrick hid more than $500,000 in assets that could have been applied to restitution.

Kilpatrick’s lawyer, Arnold Reed, has said Kilpatrick’s imprisonment should have ended his obligation to pay restitution.

Reed has said the issue will be included with an appeal he plans to file with the state Court of Appeals.

Kwame Mommy gives more testimony in Kwame Daddy corruption case

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 02:02:35 -0400

http://detnews.com/article/20100617/METRO/6170353/1409/rss36

Last Updated: June 17. 2010 1:00AM
Cheeks Kilpatrick gives more testimony in City Hall corruption case
Paul Egan / The Detroit News

Detroit — The mother of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick testified for the second time Wednesday before a federal grand jury in Detroit investigating City Hall corruption.

U.S. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, D-Detroit, said she “answered all questions honestly and to the best of my ability.”

She first testified in front of the grand jury in March.

Her son and Bernard N. Kilpatrick, her ex-husband and the former mayor’s father, are among those under FBI investigation.

The second testimony is “certainly the exception, not the rule,” said Alan Gershel, the former head of the criminal division in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Detroit and now a professor at Cooley Law School’s Auburn Hills campus.

“It could be for a fairly innocent reason or it could be for more serious reasons.”

He and David Griem, a Detroit criminal attorney and former federal prosecutor, said there are typically three reasons why a grand jury witness may be called back to testify a second time: The government may not have completed its testimony the first time, investigators developed new information since the first appearance or, Gershel said, “they may have been dissatisfied with some of the answers and may have called the witness back to clarify.”

Griem said it’s unlikely prosecutors just didn’t get finished the first time, because the statements Cheeks Kilpatrick made after her grand jury appearance in March suggested she believed her testimony was completed.

“There’s reason for someone to be concerned about getting called back a second time — I’m speaking now as a former federal prosecutor,” Griem said.

“Either for one reason or another in looking at the transcript of her testimony they either believed that she wasn’t being completely candid and forthright or they wanted to ask follow-up questions that would help them objectively determine if that was the case.”

Lawyer claims Kwame no longer owes money

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 01:34:00 -0400

Kwaym’s new Kwambulance chaser claims that the King no longer owes the $1 million in restitution, because he has gone to prison for not paying it. Attorney Arnold Reed’s argument says that since Double K has gone to prison for probation violations, his restitution to the city of Detroit should be considered paid in full. We’ll see what Saint Groner has to say about that. Link and full text below.

http://detnews.com/article/20100616/METRO/6160348/1409/rss36

Last Updated: June 16. 2010 1:00AM

Lawyer argues Kilpatrick’s debt is paid
Ex-mayor’s stint in prison ends $1M obligation, attorney argues

Doug Guthrie / The Detroit News

Detroit — Kwame Kilpatrick’s lawyer plans to argue to the Court of Appeals that sending the former mayor to prison should erase his $1 million debt to the city in the text message scandal.

“When a person gets sent to prison for violating probation, I’ve never seen, in typical course, a judge say you will have to continue to pay,” said attorney Arnold Reed. “Usually, you go to jail in lieu of the money you owe. It’s very unusual and that’s one of the issues we will be looking into on appeal.”

Reed said he will ask the court to explore what he calls “legal narcissism” and “an obsession with Mr. Kilpatrick” when he appeals Wayne Circuit Judge David Groner’s 1 1/2 - to 5-year sentence, which included a reminder that Kilpatrick still owes the city $860,000.

The May 25 sentence relieved Kilpatrick’s obligation to make $3,000 restitution payments on the 15th of every month. But Reed said it also cost Kilpatrick his $120,000-a-year job as a medical record security software salesman for Compuware’s subsidiary, Covisint.

“It was a sad day today (Tuesday) that restitution was due to a city in economic trouble and nothing was paid,” Reed said. “He should still be working, not sitting in jail, but this cost him a good job. Now, he’s going to be an unemployed ex-con still required to pay the city? How is that going to work? The judge is setting him up for more failure.”

Compuware Chairman Peter Karmanos on Tuesday told WDIV-TV (Channel 4) that prosecutors were wrong to hound Kilpatrick after his sentencing in the text message scandal, where he lied under oath about his relationship with Christine Beatty, his ex-chief of staff.

“I’m just bewildered. It makes no sense whatsoever. It certainly doesn’t help the city get restitution,” he said. “We have a very bright person that now is in jail and the only crime so far, I think, is having an affair with a college sweetheart. … It’s not his fault that a Wayne County jury decided to give somebody that kind of (restitution).”

Groner sent Kilpatrick to prison for “willful” probation violations that included hiding more than $500,000 in assets the judge said could have been applied to restitution. Groner told Kilpatrick that efforts to keep him free failed.

The monthly payments, which Kilpatrick generally made on time after serving 99 days of a 120-day jail term in early 2009, were among the terms of his probation under Groner’s supervision. But the promise to pay, as Groner pointed out in sentencing Kilpatrick, had been part of the 2008 plea bargain the former mayor struck with Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy to avoid trial.

“There are a substantial number of people who come to prison who owe restitution,” Michigan Department of Corrections spokesman Russell Marlan said Tuesday. “It is unusual to see one this large, but it was part of his plea deal and that wasn’t canceled when his probation was revoked.

“Typically, prisoners don’t pay it while incarcerated because they are not earning much money, but it will become a term of his parole when released and we will be doing everything we can to collect.”

Prisoners also can earn an average of $1 per day doing menial work like kitchen duties and mopping floors. Their earnings go into the prison store fund used to buy items such as toothpaste and snacks. Any fund with a balance that exceeds $50 can be tapped by prison authorities for restitution.

Kilpatrick’s earliest chance for parole is July 24, 2011. He will be required to pay off the balance before he is released from parole on Jan. 24, 2014. Monthly payments likely will be required, but Kilpatrick could also get a loan that gives him decades to repay.

If the amount goes unpaid, the debt will be turned over to the state Treasury Department for collection. The city also can seek payment through court judgments.

“It is our position that … the defendant would pay $1 million restitution and he is still bound to that agreement,” said Worthy’s spokeswoman, Maria Miller.

Margaret Raben, president of the Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan, said the argument probably won’t succeed with the Court of Appeals.

“Restitution was part of an agreement between Mr. Kilpatrick and the state that he and his advisers felt at that time was the correct thing to do,” she said.

Raben also pointed out that dismissing the entire plea agreement would mean Kilpatrick could face trial on the dismissed charges, including perjury.

The Kwam-boss says Kwame did nothing other than cheat

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 17:10:00 -0400

Oh boy. The same buddy of Kwame’s that was the only one who would give him a job after his last jail stint, then fired him immediately after his latest sentence, is now whining to the media that Kwaym did nothing wrong “other than cheat on his wife”. Perhaps this is the guy who needs the job.

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/23909198/detail.html

Karmanos: Only Crime Kilpatrick Committed Was Adultery
Businessman Slams Wayne County Prosecutor, Judge Groner

POSTED: Tuesday, June 15, 2010
UPDATED: 4:35 pm EDT June 15, 2010

DETROIT — Detroit businessman Pete Karmanos spoke Tuesday for the first time to the media about the criminal trial against his long-time friend Kwame Kilpatrick, and went as far as saying the only crime he committed was having an affair with his high school sweetheart.

“We have a very bright person that now is in jail and the only crime so far, I think, is having an affair with a college sweetheart. Yes, yes, there was perjury in a civil trial, but you have to look hard at a civil trial since the whole idea is that someone is lying,” said Karmanos.

Wayne County Judge David Groner found the former Detroit mayor Kilpatrick guilty of probation violation, and in May, sentenced him to serve a minimum of a year and half to a maximum of five years, minus 120 days for time already served.

Kilpatrick’s 2008 jail stint stemmed from lies Kilpatrick told about an affair he had with his then-Chief of Staff Christine Beatty while testifying during a 2007 whistle-blowers’ lawsuit trial.

Kilpatrick was accused of blocking a criminal investigation into his office and firing a police deputy to cover up the affair.

Groner sentenced the standing mayor on an obstruction of justice charge.

Kilpatrick served 99 days in county jail and was ordered to step down and repay Detroit $1 million in restitution.

After jail, Kilpatrick joined his wife and children in Southlake, Texas, and took a job as a software salesman with Texas-based Covisint, which is a Compuware subsidiary.

Karmanos is the CEO and co-founder of Compuware Corporation.

Karmanos said he helped Kilpatrick get the job in Texas so he could get out of Michigan.

He said he was doing well at his job and would have been able to repay his restitution if it wasn’t for the persistence of several Wayne County officials.

“He wouldn’t have to go through all this, but we had a judge and a prosecutor that, for their own reasons, kept wanting to bring it up and bring it up, and it resulted in him going to jail for a year and a half at least, and hopefully they are very happy about that,” said Karmanos.

When Kilpatrick got out of jail the first time, he was ordered to pay 30 percent of his salary toward restitution.

After a few months, Kilpatrick claimed that he only had $6 a month left after living and family expenses in his new home in Texas.

The payment dispute sparked a contentious six-day hearing, which began in October.

During those hearings, prosecutors learned that Kilpatrick had funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars into his wife’s bank account.

It was also revealed that Kilpatrick had been given a $240,000 loan from four prominent businessmen: Karmanos, Dan Gilbert, Jim Nicholson and Roger Penske.

Karmanos said they loaned him the money to get back on his feet and help his family.

Prosecutor’s said that instead of focusing on repaying the city, Kilpatrick bought his wife lavish gifts and thousands of dollars worth of plastic surgery.

When asked why Kilpatrick chose to spend the money on buying his wife lavish gifts and paying for her plastic surgery instead of repaying the city, Karmanos did not answer the question, but instead quipped that Kilpatrick’s $1 million restitution was unwarranted.

“The whole issue of restitution, you could argue, if it was even fair. It’s not his fault that the Wayne County jury gave him an excessive restitution — that’s not news,” said Karmanos.

At the end of the hearings, Groner said Kilpatrick misrepresented his financial situation and ability to repay. He ordered him to pay more than $300,000 in restitution within 90 days or face further punishment.

When Kilpatrick was not able to meet the payments, Groner found Kilpatrick guilty of violating the terms of his probation, not because he could not meet the payments, but because he failed to report assets and turn over tax refunds.

Karmanos said he was “bewildered” by Groner’s choice to send Kilpatrick to prison instead of letting him continue to work.

“It makes no sense whatsoever, certainly doesn’t help the city get its restitution,” said Karmanos.

Karmanos admitted that he is not often surprised by anything that happens in Detroit.

He became visibly frustrated and called the exclusive interview to an end, saying that he would be happy to meet with the media in six months when the truth about Kilpatrick is revealed.

Kwame's Cell = Air Conditioned Hospital Room w/Private Shower

Sat, 05 Jun 2010 01:30:00 -0400

Wow, can you actually choose to do time in a luxury hospital room instead of a prison cell now? If you’re the Kwaminator, you can.

http://detnews.com/article/20100605/METRO/6050343/1409/rss36

Last Updated: June 05. 2010 1:00AM
Kilpatrick has air-conditioned cell with private bath in prison
Paul Egan / The Detroit News

A prison warden confirmed Friday that Kwame Kilpatrick is staying in an air-conditioned hospital room with a private shower but denied he is receiving treatment he shouldn’t.

Warden Heidi Washington, who knew Kilpatrick when they both worked at the state Capitol, said she wants the former Detroit mayor isolated “for management reasons.”

“We want things to be run with as little disruption as possible,” Washington said. Because of Kilpatrick’s notoriety, “it makes things run more efficiently, more calmly and more smoothly to keep him separated.”

It’s likely Kilpatrick will be housed in an isolation room at the 112-bed Duane Waters Health Center — a part of the larger Charles Egeler Reception and Guidance Center in Jackson normally reserved for prisoners with medical conditions — another one to two weeks before he is assigned to a regular Michigan prison, Washington said.

Washington was responding to complaints from a corrections officer who said guards at the Jackson prison were in “an uproar” because Washington was treating Kilpatrick “like a rock star.” The guard sent an e-mail to The Detroit News and requested anonymity.

Washington confirmed Kilpatrick is in isolation room in the hospital unit but said the sender of the e-mail is “obviously ill-informed.” Kilpatrick’s room is air-conditioned, but so is the entire hospital unit, she said.

The guard said Kilpatrick had full access to phone calls and visitors at the center, where new prisoners are processed and evaluated before they go to a regular prison to serve their terms.

Washington said Kilpatrick’s only visitors have been attorneys, and prison officials can’t deny attorney visits.

Only on Thursday did Kilpatrick get his personal identification number that lets him make phone calls, Washington said. That was more than one week after he booked in and wasn’t quicker than other prisoners receive their numbers, she said.

The night he arrived at the center, May 25, “he did ask if he could please call home and he was told no, Washington said.

That’s the day Wayne County Circuit Judge David Groner sentenced Kilpatrick to 18 months to five years in prison for hiding assets from the court in order to avoid making payments on his $1 million court-ordered restitution. The restitution stemmed from Kilpatrick’s 2008 guilty plea to obstruction of justice for lying under oath at a police whistle-blower trial in 2007.

He served 99 days in the Wayne County Jail on that conviction.

Kilpatrick will be in custody when he turns 40 on Tuesday and won’t get a cake or a special meal, Washington said.

The guard who sent the e-mail said Washington “even got (Kilpatrick)’s store order for him” his first night at the center — a charge that brought a chuckle from Washington.

“He has not had any store,” she said. “I don’t think he even has any money in his account to buy anything.”

Kilpatrick has no TV in his room, she said. There is a TV he can watch in a nearby room, but only during the one hour a day he is allowed outside his room to go to the “day room” with the TV or a secured outdoor area for exercise, she said.

Washington confirmed she has visited Kilpatrick but said she makes her rounds every day and visits many prisoners. She and Kilpatrick know each other but are not friends, she said.

“We both worked at the Capitol at the same time,” she said. “He was a legislator and I was a staffer.”

Washington started as a Senate page in 1990 and worked for the secretary of the Senate, two Republican senators and one Republican House representative before becoming legislative liaison for the Michigan Department of Corrections from 1998 to 2003. Kilpatrick was elected to the Michigan House in 1996 as a Democrat and served there until he was elected Detroit mayor in 2001.

Mel Grieshaber, executive director of the Michigan Corrections Organization — the guards’ union — said he’s heard no complaints from his members about Kilpatrick getting cushy treatment.

“Uproar seems like a strong word,” he said. “We would have heard from our members if there was an uproar.”

It’s not uncommon for notable prisoners such as Kilpatrick or former inmate Jack Kevorkian to be kept in a hospital isolation room while being assimilated into the prison setting, but “it’s not going to last very long,” Grieshaber said. “He’s going to be in prison.”

He expects Kilpatrick will be in the general population wherever he is sent and not segregated unless there are threats or other problems. That means he will have at least one cellmate and possibly many more, Grieshaber said.

The lower-security prisons where Kilpatrick is likely to be sent “vary from double-bunk cells to even cubicles with up to eight beds,” he said.

Arnold Reed, the Farmington Hills attorney handling Kilpatrick’s appeal of Groner’s sentence, said he visited the former mayor recently.

“All things considered, he’s doing very well,” Reed said. “He’s in good spirits; he’s very anxious to participate in the defense of his case.”

As for the conditions of Kilpatrick’s confinement, “It’s not like a hotel, believe me,” Reed said. “Not at all.”

Kwame gets a lawyer?

Mon, 31 May 2010 22:14:00 -0400

http://www.freep.com/article/20100531/NEWS01/100531038/1001/news

Posted: 10:09 p.m. May 31, 2010
Lawyer says he’ll represent imprisoned Kwame Kilpatrick
ASSOCIATED PRESS

A suburban lawyer says imprisoned ex-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has hired him to lead his appeals.

A judge sent Kilpatrick to prison last Tuesday for at least 14 months for violating probation in his 2008 obstruction of justice conviction.

Last week, lawyers Dan Hajji and Michael Alan Schwartz withdrew from representing Kilpatrick.

Farmington Hills lawyer Arnold Reed announced today that Kilpatrick hired him as his lead counsel after the two spoke several times. Reed says he’ll discuss the case at a news conference Tuesday afternoon.

Reed says in a statement that Kilpatrick’s sentence was “out of line as compared to other defendants … accused of “doing things far worse than Mr. Kilpatrick.”

Kym Worthy gets Email Death Threat after Kwame sentencing

Fri, 28 May 2010 17:46:58 -0400

How much do you want to bet that the death threat received by Kym Worthy was from someone in the Kwame Kamp? Oh, and… it was emailed? Definitely done by someone dumber than a box of dead rocks. Yeah, Kwame Kamp.

http://detnews.com/article/20100528/METRO01/5280422/-1/rss

Last Updated: May 28. 2010 3:42PM

Worthy received threat after Kilpatrick sentence
Doug Guthrie / The Detroit News

Detroit — Authorities are investigating an e-mailed death threat to Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy from someone angry about former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick being sent to prison.

Worthy received the threat in an electronic message delivered Wednesday, the day after Kilpatrick was sentenced by Wayne County Circuit Judge David Groner to serve 1 ½ to 5 years for violating probation.

Many terms of that probation were the result of a plea bargain Kilpatrick struck with Worthy and her assistants back in 2008 to avoid trial on charges related to the infamous text message scandal. Worthy launched an investigation of the messages that resulted in multiple felony charges against Kilpatrick.

Kilpatrick pleaded guilty, resigned from office, surrendered his law license, served 99 days in the Wayne County Jail and agreed to pay $1 million restitution the city while he served five years of probation. In April, Groner found Kilpatrick guilty of hiding assets from the court that could have been applied to restitution.

The court’s decision to send Kilpatrick to prison on Tuesday came as a result of Worthy’s aggressive prosecution of the man who was elected mayor in 2001 amid hopes of turning the city around, but whose energies were soon distracted by legal fights, sexual scandals and an ongoing federal investigation of alleged city contracting irregularities during his administration.

Worthy downplayed the threat in a statement issued Thursday:

“This is not the first time that I have received threats,” she said. “For obvious reasons, this is not something that I have ever publicized. Most of the threats have been specific to the Kilpatrick case.

“All threats are taken very seriously, and the most recent one is currently being investigated. This is an unfortunate consequence of carrying out the responsibilities of my office.”